Temporal Tempest
by Miss Kagura
Summary: After completing and purifying the jewel, Kagome's life is like she never went to feudal Japan at all. Then, she hears about Sesshomaru's seal and chooses to free him. My first fanfiction. I'm too nostalgic to delete it. SessKag
1. Stolen Time

**Chapter 1**

"Now!" Inuyasha screeched, tearing a small area of Naraku's armor off. She should see it, and as she took aim, Kagome's mind flashed through all the events that had lead to this moment.

There was the first moments in feudal Japan, when she blundered through the forest and ran into the peculiar boy that had been pinned to the tree. And the moment she removed the arrow, only to be recklessly pursued. Inuyasha had grown since then. The hanyou who certainly would have killed her for the jewel was the first man she ever kissed, and, if this arrow hit the mark, maybe a little more than that.

Then there were her other allies, all touched by the cruelty of the Naraku. Sango lost her family and then spent the better part of a year torn to pieces emotionally as Naraku used her little brother like a puppet. In a moment of lucidity and regret, Kohaku himself had used his sickle to remove the shard from his back, dying instantly. If this arrow hit the mark, Sango would be able to move on with her life.

"Kagome, you can do this!" Miroku shouted from behind her, staring down at his own curse. The wind tunnel in his hand was widening by the minute as Naraku's flesh-eating poison ate at the sides of it. He only had minutes to live. If her arrow hit the mark, he'd be free from his curse, and he'd help Sango move on with her life.

_This is for everyone you've hurt, and every life you've destroyed, Naraku._

She heard the twang of her bow, and saw the light that surrounded the arrow as it sailed across the dark cavern. The earth-shattering noise and flash of light seemed to numb her senses, but when she finally opened her eyes again, the Shikkon Jewel glittered in the center of the cave, pure and free from it's former owner's wickedness.

Kagome walked over to it and picked it up, appreciating seeing it full and complete for the first time since she pierced it with her arrow so long before. All the suffering and work had been for this little stone, and it had finally returned to her.

Then, she suddenly felt subdued by the jewel, as if it had a will of its own. Kagome felt herself starting to lose consciousness, and tried to fight, but the will of the jewel drastically overpowered her.

When Kagome woke up, she was sitting in the bottom of the well. "Inuyasha?"

"Sis, you're okay!" Souta shouted. "Are you hurt?"

"What's wrong with you, Souta?" Kagome said. "I'm fine, just like always."

Souta peeked over the edge of the well. "Right, because you fall in the creepy well all the time. Stupid Buyo."

Kagome gasped, noticing Souta looked younger...Buyo...the creepy well...Kagome swallowed hard. "Souta, what's the date today?"

"It's the third of February." Souta said. "2001 if you're too stupid to remember what year it is."

"That's the day I feel in here!" Kagome screamed.

Souta was getting tired of Kagome. "Duh, how long did you think you were in there? I'm getting Gramps, I think you must have hit your head."

_I completed the jewel, and purified it. I remember that much, but why would it send me back to the exact moment I crossed over? I'm fifteen again, and six years of my life just disappeared._ Kagome thought.

Kagome tried to sense the jewel in her own body, but there was none. So, she decided she'd test her purification powers, but looked at her hands when nothing happened. Then, she pulled up her stomach, looking for the scar from Naraku's miasma. None. All of the scars had just vanished.

She crawled out of the well, realizing it was just a hole in the ground and it wasn't going to take her anywhere. As she left the well house, Kagome looked over at the Sacred Tree. It still bore the scar where Kikyou sealed Inuyasha to the tree, and she could almost imagine him lazily stretched out on the great branches.

"Kagome!" Her mother said, rushing out of their home. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine, Mom." Kagome said.

**Six Months Later**

"Kagome?"

Ayumi walked next to her. "I have those history notes. What were you so distracted about during class?"

"Oh, it was nothing." Kagome replied.

Kagome's life had largely returned to normal, as if nothing had ever happened to her. She still went to school, and she spent time with her disastrously nosy group of friends. The first weeks had been rough, but Kagome knew that she simply couldn't have expected to live in two times forever.

_I didn't belong there. It wasn't my time, and my presence there already had an impact. But...I miss them. I miss Inuyasha. They're all dead now, claimed by old age long ago. The age of demons is over, and life now is different._

_Maybe sending me back in time was the intent all along. I wrecked my life here to search for jewel shards, failing classes, ignoring my friends, even scarring and injuring my own body in the dangerous search for the jewel. _

Kagome and Ayumi walked across the street from where they stood and entered a bookstore. "Alright, the project was to read something dealing with feudal life." Ayumi said. "In other words, a borefest."

Kagome giggled. _Or so you think!_ They filed through the rows of books and she randomly chose one about religion in the feudal times, smiling as she remembered the lecherous monk, who, for all his sexual drive, had great spiritual power and a sense of peace, even as his life seemed to drain away.

"Which one? Mythology or Subsistence Farming?" Ayumi said, holding up two books. "Mythology might be interesting, I've heard people back then were really superstitious."

_Maybe the jewel left this earth because of my mission? Maybe the jewel called me to come back and the energy to link both times used all of it's power?_

Kagome couldn't deny there seemed to be something in her that allowed her heart to heal easily. Maybe some of the jewel's power? She sighed and continued walking home, realizing her life simply went on, regardless of how much she thought about her adventures in feudal Japan.

The book bored her, containing nothing that truly interested her. Life wasn't the way the author said it was, and the people certainly weren't pathetic, superstitious simpletons. They had legitimate reasons for being frightened. How many times had she seen entire villages destroyed?

The next week, she prepared her presentation, not feeling particularly happy about having to stand in front of everyone and talk. She could fire arrows and ride a half-demon, but public speaking truly made her feel shy. When her turn arrived, she walked to the front of the room.

"In feudal Japan, people were very suspicious, assuming anything that couldn't be easily explained was the work of demons. Many people were killed in what was similar to the witch hunt in early America. People with unusual features or traits were considered outcasts. Many monks took advantage of this." She frowned as her stomach turned. "I'm sorry, I don't feel well." She said, walking back to her seat and slumping down. How many times had Miroku gotten them food and beds with his 'perception,' constantly sensing demonic auras anywhere a pretty woman and a good dinner might be.

"Would you like to go to the nurse?" Her teacher asked, and Kagome nodded, happy to get out of class. She leaned against the wall just outside of her classroom and daydreamed about her long lost friends.

"...Sesshomaru..." Kagome's jerked back to reality as the name hit her ears. She listened to Ayumi, who was giving her report about mythology. "So, this Sesshomaru was some kind of warrior. Except he was only born with one arm. According to legend, he was actually a powerful demon and could walk around as a giant beast when he wanted to. Unfortunately, he was foul-mouthed and hot tempered, and lusted after a sword left to his older brother."

_Wrong. Inuyasha was the younger brother. And the one with the potty mouth! And Sesshomaru wasn't born that way!_

"In the end, he and his brother had a common enemy. They destroyed the Unnamed One, but his heart lived on. His heart possessed the body of a priestess and he placed a curse on the brothers, who fought until Sesshomaru was sealed to a cave for all eternity with the very sword he wanted."

_Naraku. That's right...we never destroyed his heart!_

"...the older brother..."

_Inuyasha was younger!_

"...died as a result of injuries from the battle, but killed the body of the priestess, ending the evil of the Unnamed One forever..."

Kagome felt the tears as she ran down the hallway. _It can't be true. It can't! I fought so hard, and we killed that bastard! I can't believe Inuyasha died like that. It's not fair!_ Out the door and down the steps, then across the street, cars dodging her as she made her escape.

She ran through the park where she and Inuyasha were walking when So'unga came to them and fell to her knees, sobbing. "Inuyasha!" Kagome screamed out loud. She cried and cried and cried, until she felt as if she was all out of tears, and numb. _Maybe that stupid book was wrong._

_Even if everything it says was true, Sesshomaru doesn't deserve to be sealed up forever. The last times I saw him, he really seemed to have changed. Then again, it IS Sesshomaru. How many times did I nearly died because of him? Few demons could simply scare the crap out of me in the way that he could. _

"I'm going to find out." Kagome said, resolutely. She wiped her tears away, straightened her skirt, and walked to the bookstore, grabbing a copy of the book Ayumi had read.

When she got home, she found that the book was mostly filled with crap, passed down from generation to generation, but she did find small bits of truth hidden in it. She smiled triumphantly when she turned to page 101, which told her exactly what she wanted to know.

"The two brothers fought in the Cave of Midoriko, trapped in a fight to the death. Unfortunately, neither emerged alive, and both the priestess and the elder brother were killed. The younger, Sesshomaru, was sealed to the wall of the cave for all of time." It read.

"I know where that is." Kagome whispered.

Three days later, she found herself scaling up a mountain. "I wish Inuyasha was here. He did all the work!" She grunted. Of course, it might help if the old road that lead of the mountain hadn't been destroyed and covered by rocks. The mountain had actually changed a lot, and she assumed there had been an earthquake or avalanche of massive proportions at some point.

When she reached the grassy area where the demon slayer's village used to be, she felt a sadness overtake her. Where there used to be reminders of the destruction, there was only grass, beautiful and thick. The graves of the slayers were no longer marked of visible, their memory disappearing into the earth. Why had they come here to fight? It seemed a strange place for Naraku to choose.

Kagome walked to the end of the village, to the cave, only to discover the entrance was blocked by a mountain of rock. " Perfect." She said, sarcastically. "How the hell am I supposed to get through that?" Noticing the warning that was carved into the rock nearby, she sighed. "I'm apparently not supposed to."

Kagome remembered the last time she'd been in the cave, the place haunted by the presence of Midoriko.

_Maybe it was the will of Midoriko that I go back in time? _She thought, kicking at the insurmountable wall of rock.

Her eyes wandered around for a possible way to sneak in, back she nothing. "Maybe if I just sit down." She said, jumping as the wall of rock rumbled and some of it fell. "Sit?" She said again, stunned when it came down just a little more. _Oh no, his body must be in there somewhere. I...never took the beads off, and I was the only one that could. Inuyasha deserves a proper burial. _Kagome thought.

_Sorry, Inuyasha, but this is the only way for me to get to you._

"Sit! Sit! Sit! Sit! Sit! Sit! Sit! Sit!" Kagome screamed, as the wall came crashing down, causing a cloud of dust. She coughed, and looked through the dust as it settled. She complacently slapped her neck, then froze as she realized she remembered that feeling.

"Myoga?" She said, holding the flea out in front of her.

"Kagome!" Myoga sobbed. "Is it really you?"

"You're...still alive." Kagome said.

He nodded. "I too was sealed in the cave, although given the choice, I would have stayed anyway." Myoga said. "I promised my master I would serve his family forever, and his family line ended in that cave."

"Inuyasha's body is in there?" Kagome asked.

Myoga shook his head. "No, his body was taken out of here when the mountain started to collapse. The beads must have fallen off of him." Kagome nodded, relieved that she wouldn't have to see his body. "Kagome, how did you learn about this?"

"I read a book about myths." Kagome said as she started to crawl over the rocks that had obstructed her way. She spotted the beads and picked them up. "He had to wear these for the rest of his life."

"Aye." Myoga said. "Even if he could have taken them off, he wouldn't have dreamed about it. Inuyasha was deeply saddened when you disappeared, although we knew you had simply been returned to your time to live your life."

"I read Sesshomaru has been sealed up forever." Kagome said.

"It seems that way." Myoga said, frowning. "It a sad end, since the brothers had truly accepted one another in the wake of Naraku's defeat."

Kagome put the flea on her shoulder. "So how do we undo it?"

"Tessaiga will not allow itself to be removed from Sesshomaru." Myoga said. "It rejects even my touch., still recognizing the will of Inuyasha, which was for Sesshomaru to remain here for all time."

Kagome climbed down into the cave and looked around, noticing the cave was lit quite well by the sunshine that spilled into it from the collapsed rock wall. Her gaze fixated on Sesshomaru. She had expected to see his elegant form impaled and stuck to a wall, but instead, the three legged beast was hanging high above them, as if his sealing had been violent and agonizing.

Myoga forlornly commented. "This place is pure, and Midoriko's faint residual aura has probably tormented him since the moment he was sealed."

Kagome's eyes widened. "Remember when So'unga took control of Inuyasha? The beads, along with a little force, were able to overpower the sword. We know the incantation still works, and it did take down that massive wall."

"That's right, Kagome!" Myoga said. "Those beads have Kaede's spiritual power in them!" Kagome nodded and started to climb toward Sesshomaru, pitying the poor guy. "Are you sure you want to awaken him?" Myoga said.

"We can't just leave him here forever." Kagome said, as her grip slipped. She reached out for something to stop her fall, hanging onto a wad of fur. The beads would never fit around Sesshomaru's neck in his canine form, and Kagome didn't really want to take something that had once been Inuyasha's and use it on his brother. She navigated across Sesshomaru's chest, his fur holding her up above the razor sharp stalagmites beneath them.

Reaching out, she realized she couldn't reach Tessaiga's handle because it was transformed into it's true form. "Damnit!" She climbed up higher, then slowly lowered her feet down onto the swords broad blade.

"Kagome, you're going to fall!' Myoga said. "Don't do this!"

Kagome lost her balance and fell forward, on her hands and knees on top of the blade. Still, she crawled forward and knotted the beads around it's handle. Then, she carefully made her way back to Sesshomaru's body and crawled onto the back of his neck.

"Sit! Sit! Sit! Sit! Sit! Sit!" Kagome screamed, watching the Tessaiga battle the beads for dominance. "Sit! Sit! Sit! Sit!"

A hideous roar resonated through the cavern as the sword and the beads fell to the ground. Kagome held on tight to his neck, loosing him after he'd landed on the ground, whimpering like a puppy. Sesshomaru transformed, assuming his human form.

"Come, Sesshomaru-sama, you need to leave this cave!" Myoga said.

Kagome pulled on his arm, and he followed her, seeming to be in a daze. When they got to the pile of rock, he picked her up almost instinctively and bounded to freedom.

"I'm...free." Sesshomaru said, sitting down in the grass.

Kagome sat next to him, unsure of what to do. "Are you hungry or thirsty?"

"No." Sesshomaru said, his eyes sad, but thoughtful and confused. He looked down at the blood on his clothes, then at Myoga. "I killed Inuyasha."

"You were under a spell." Kagome said. "Do you remember me?"

Sesshomaru looked up at her, then recklessly buried his head in her neck, making her scream as he sniffed. "You're the miko that removed Tessaiga from Father." Kagome nodded. "It seems many years have past." He said, looking over the grassy area. "You look the same. Maybe even younger. How is this possible?"

Kagome explained about the well, Naraku, and how she'd been sent back to the day she first entered feudal Japan. Sesshomaru absorbed it all, seeming sad and distant, a change from cold and distant, which is all she had seen from him before. "This time is very different." Kagome said. "Demons don't just run around now. Most people think demons are just legend."

"Humans." Sesshomaru said. "A few centuries and they forget who once owned this land."

"Anyway." Kagome said. "I need to go home, or my mom is going to be pissed at me for staying out too late."

Myoga interrupted. "Kagome, what should we do?"

She hesitated. She hadn't thought about this before. "Hmm...you can stay with me. But my mom can't find out you're even there. There are so many things I don't want to explain. People would think I'm totally insane."

"Thank you, Kagome, your kindness always astounds me." Myoga said.

Kagome nodded and started the journey down the mountain. She got about twenty feet down and looked up to see Sesshomaru staring at her with a strange look of amusement. "What's so funny?"

"Humans." He said.

"You can----AHHH!" Kagome screamed as she suddenly found herself bounding through the air, held close to Sesshomaru as he landed and raced across the countryside for the city. "Stop, you don't know where you're going!" She said.

Sesshomaru didn't so much as credit her complaint with a response, continuing his lightning-fast trek across modern Japan. The taxi that took her to the base of the mountain took over two hours, but Sesshomaru brought her into Tokyo within twenty minutes. His face seemed to take on a look of disgust as he observed the movements of modern humans, but he mostly ignored it as he maneuvered onto the shrine grounds and then into Kagome's window.

"Wow." Was all Kagome said. "You're fast."

"Even this Sesshomaru understands the need to avoid drawing maternal wrath." He said, looking around her room. Inuyasha had been hasty and confused by technology, but Sesshomaru looked around as if wondering how it all worked. For all Kagome knew, he could probably sense the electricity and water coursing down their respective routes in the walls. "You should be thankful your mother is not Daiyoukai."

Kagome couldn't help but to smile. "This is my room. Sometimes my little brother will barge in here, or the cat. My mom and grandpa knock."

"You are a bastard child then?" Sesshomaru asked.

Kagome fisted her hands. "I don't see your dad anywhere around, does that make you a bastard?"

He tilted his head. "I have not been inside of your father's stomach." He said, referring to the day Kagome pulled Tessaiga out out the body of Sesshomaru and Inuyasha's father.

"My dad divorced my mom." Kagome said. "I don't really see him much."

Myoga broke in. "I'm sorry to hear that, Kagome." He hopped to the bookcase. "Your books, do some of them have history in them?"

Kagome nodded and pulled a few books out. "I think you guys should catch up before you try to go out. The world isn't the same, you can't just go Tokijin on everyone."

"I have no need. I can 'go Tessaiga' instead." Sesshomaru said.

"You took the sword?" Kagome asked. "And it didn't reject you?"

Sesshomaru didn't answer, but turned to the window. "I sense demonic energy. It is hidden, but poorly." He looked back at his bloody clothes. "Is there a place for me to wash these?"

"I can." Kagome said. "Take it off." Sesshomaru stared. "I've seen you totally naked in demon form. What's the big deal?" He took off his armor, and put it on the floor, then undressed, leaving just his pants on. When he turned Kagome gasped and pointed. "You don't have nipples!"

Sesshomaru gave her a decidedly perturbed expression. "I would need them for what reason?"

"Human men have them." Kagome said.

"Do they also breastfeed?" He asked.

"Ewww!" Kagome replied. "Of course not!" She suddenly found herself blushing, and she turned, "I'm going to go wash these."

"Miko, you would do good for yourself by not pointing at men when they disrobe." Sesshomaru said as the door closed.

Of course, when she returned, he and the flea were nowhere to be found.

**Please Read and Review!**


	2. Master of the Ring

**Chapter 2**

"Shit." Kagome said, looking around her room. Where did they go?

"Have you learned nothing about Inuyoukai?" Sesshomaru said, sitting in a tree just outside her window.

She panicked. "Damnit, get back in here! Someone is going to see you."

"You have a foul mouth." Sesshomaru said, hopping back into her room. He eyed Buyo and frowned. Buyo spotted him and hissed as a row of hair on his back stood up. "And a rude pussycat."

"Buyo!" Kagome said, picking the cat up. "What's gotten into you?"

Sesshomaru sat on the floor. "This Sesshomaru assumes Buyo does not like dogs."

Kagome couldn't help but to smile. _I remember Buyo liked Inuyasha, but it might be unwise to say that._ She thought. "Alright, you can sleep on the bed, I'll be sleeping on the floor, so don't step on me!"

"Nonsense." Sesshomaru said. "This Sesshomaru would not make a woman sleep on the floor."

Kagome felt her patience wearing this. "This Sesshomaru will sleep on the bed because this Kagome is getting tired and grumpy."

Sesshomaru picked her up and threw her down onto the bed, then sat down on the floor beside her.

Defeated, she simply rolled over. "Turn the lights off at least. Next to the door."

_He seems to adapt well, which is good. Inuyasha gave me hell when he was here, and I'm lucky he didn't become a spectacle on the news with the way he acted. _She thought, relieved her figured out the light switch without ripping it off the wall. Then, he turned and looked thoughtfully at Kagome.

"Thank you." He said, laying on the floor beside her.

_Maybe he's not so bad. _

"Myoga, are you in here?" Kagome asked.

"Yes!" He said from the pillow beside her. "This is a most pleasant place to sleep." Myoga said.

"Goodnight, Myoga. Goodnight, Sesshomaru." Kagome said.

"Goodnight Kagome!" Myoga answered. She didn't expect or get an answer from Sesshomaru.

A few hours later, Kagome woke up and reached for her alarm clock. _It's not making any noise. _She thought. Sesshomaru was sound asleep on the floor, making a noise that most resembled the purr of a wild cat. It was a deep sound, and seemed oddly peaceful.

_Peaceful for him, maybe._ Kagome thought. _I'm never going to be able to sleep._ So she just laid there, listening to the calm purring. _Maybe this isn't so bad..._

The next time she awoke, the alarm WAS going off, very loudly. Sesshomaru held it in his hands, contemplating it's inner workings and how he was going to make it be quiet. "Silence, you foul machination!" He said to it.

Kagome reached out, her face still in the pillow, and ran her fingers down his chest until they found the alarm clock and hit the appropriate button. "It helps me know when to wake up for school." She groaned. "I'm going to shower, eat breakfast, and go for most of the day. Don't get into trouble and don't leave." She said, getting clothes out of the closet.

"I must leave." Sesshomaru said.

"Why?" Kagome asked.

He narrowed his eyes. "I sense someone is using my left arm in this city."

"Eww." Kagome said. "Just...wait until I get home, I don't want you getting into any trouble."

"Kagome!" Souta yelled, banging on her door. "It's time to eat! Oh, and your boyfriend called last night, I forgot to tell you."

"Souta, I'm going to kill you!" Kagome shouted back, chasing him downstairs.

She ate, showered, and got dressed. When she went back to her room to get her backpack, she found Sesshomaru reading a book, Myoga sitting on his shoulder. "Wow...you're actually being still and quiet. When Inuyasha was here I'd have to sit him just to keep him out of trouble."

Myoga responded. "You forget Inuyasha was never immortal. The world changes regardless of whether or not we do. I myself choose to change with it."

Kagome nodded. "I'll be home soon, okay?"

"Farewell, Kagome!" Myoga said.

Kagome sighed as she rode the shiny pink bicycle to school. "I really missed Myoga." She said out loud, grinning.

_I feel bad for Sesshomaru, I don't know if he'll be happy here in this time. In his own time, he was like a king or something. He can't just wander around killing things now. Well, he could, but it wouldn't make for a good life, and as far as I know, he doesn't seem like an idiot. _

"Hey Kagome!"

Kagome turned to Houjou, her boyfriend, and smiled. "Hi! Are we still on for tonight?" She asked.

"Of course!" Houjou said. "I'll pick you up at six, okay?"

"Sure!" Kagome replied, standing on her tip-toes and kissing him on the cheek.

Her relationship with Houjou was going a lot better than she might expect. It was part of her normal life, the extremes of the feudal era removed from her life. Except for the leftovers that were probably still grueling over history books in her room. She missed the highs that she sometimes had with Inuyasha, and the feeling he had given her when he'd do things like scream her name and jump in front of a swinging blade for her.

Houjou was the nice guy. No matter what, he'd always be sweet to her, and he'd always feel strongly for her – she knew that from the years of her life had been taken from her. Walking with him, sharing her time with him...it gave her a sense of peace. As time had gone on with him, she found she trusted him greatly, and attraction had slowly started to form.

Her second chance at school had been a major success. While commuting to the feudal era, she had been lucky to get through school, but now she was able to focus and was near the top of the class. _Maybe this was a better way._ She thought.

When she returned home, Sesshomaru and Myoga were still settled on her bed, reading. "Welcome home, Kagome!" Myoga said, although Sesshomaru simply acknowledged her presence by looking up toward her. "Humans have made many advancements!"

"Uh-huh!" Kagome said. "I guess...I guess it's how humans improve life. Advancements, and things that can keep moving forward."

"As opposed to demons, who improved the quality of their lives by gaining power." Myoga said, completing the thought.

_Doesn't Sesshomaru hate humans? What's going on here?_

Myoga sensed Kagome's hesitation. "If you don't mind, Kagome, I think your cat Buyo has dinner for me!" He said, hopping away.

"Are you okay?" Kagome asked. "Since you were freed, you're different." She sat next to him. "You can talk to me, you know."

Sesshomaru frowned.

She sighed and asked the question that had haunted her for six months. "Do you know what happened to any of them?"

"Inuyasha's pack?" Sesshomaru asked.

"Yes." Kagome replied.

"Any specifics?" Sesshomaru said.

"Sango first!" Kagome said.

Sesshomaru nodded. "The slayer married the monk, and died in childbirth with their first child."

Kagome's eyes teared up. "Sango...she was so strong. D-Did the baby live? Was Miroku okay?"

"No. The monk committed suicide." Sesshomaru replied.

"They were supposed to live happily ever after." Kagome said, tears streaming down her face. "After we killed Naraku, things were supposed to be fine! Inuyasha had to kill Kikyou and died, you were sealed to a tree...was anyone ever happy?"

Sesshomaru didn't answer her, only waited as she regained her composure. "What about Shippou?" His expression told her he didn't know who he was by name. "The kitsune."

"The kitsune was raised by my brother, although I do not know what happened to him after Inuyasha died." Sesshomaru said.

He watched Kagome cry and felt sympathy for her. "You remember in my time, the way my father was regarded, as if he had touched and changed things so much, he was still there long after his death?" She nodded. "It is the same with Naraku. His impact was likely felt for a very long time, from the damage dealt to the slayer's body to the treachery against the others of your group."

Kagome wiped tears from her cheek. "I-I understand." She stood up and walked over to her closet. "I have to go out for awhile, I'll be back later, then we can go find your arm or whatever."

"With your 'boyfriend?'" Sesshomaru asked, a sly grin crossing his face.

She blushed and gave him a fiery stare. "You aren't going to embarrass me, are you?"

He grunted. "This Sesshomaru would do no such thing."

"Good, and if he comes up here to my room, can you go someplace where you can't hear anything?" Kagome asked.

One of his eyebrows shot up. "I have no interest in hearing your mating rituals."

"We're not going to mate!" Kagome yelled, blushing. Sesshomaru stretched out and lazily watched her. "Stop looking at me! Don't you hate humans?"

Sesshomaru scoffed. "I believe they are inferior creatures, but rarely human females are...tolerable." He said, his eyes running up and down her body.

Kagome wasn't paying attention, and went through her closet, "You're talking about Rin, right? Was she like your daughter or something?"

"Something like that." Sesshomaru said.

"Do you wonder what happened to her?" Kagome asked. Staring at her clothes in frustration.

"No." Sesshomaru said. "Jaken was just as fond of Rin as I. I have no doubts that he took fine care of her. Even if he left her alone, Rin was infectiously cute and could likely get whatever she wanted from anyone."

"She was." Kagome said. "I always wondered why she stayed with you."

Sesshomaru watched as she held up a dress and pressed it against her body. "Rin was...mishandled by humans. I did not wish to send her back to them and she did not want to go."

"By mishandled, what do you mean?" Kagome asked.

"She was far too young to smell like she did." He said.

"Like what?" Kagome asked, feeling puzzled.

"A female who is no longer a virgin." He replied. "The second time I saw her, she had been kicked and punched by adult human males. If the wolves had not devoured them, I believe I might have."

Kagome shook her head. "Poor girl." She said, taking a black dress off the hanger and walking toward the door.

"Black?" Sesshomaru said. "Wear the red one."

"Why?" Kagome asked.

He sat up. "Red incites lust."

She blushed and walked out with the black dress. _The nerve of that man!_ She thought as she put the dress on, followed by black velvet sandals. Kagome carefully tamed her hair, making it fall more elegantly and straight, then put on makeup. _Was he trying to comfort me earlier? It's so strange having him here. I remember how terrified I was when I pulled Tessaiga, his expression was so cold, but resolute._

Kagome returned to her room and put in a pair of earrings, ignoring and being ignored by the demon who was lazily stretched out on her bed. "You remind me of Inuyasha, sitting there pretending to ignore me like that. You might as well just say what you're thinking."

"I do not believe I have seen you decently dressed, even once." Sesshomaru said, looking over her legs.

Kagome sighed and slapped him on the cheek. "It's just the way things are now. I'm really normal and well behaved for my age."

Sesshomaru suddenly disappeared just as the doorbell rang. _Finally!_ Kagome thought as she went downstairs. _I really, really hope Sesshomaru doesn't do anything. He was giving me really weird vibes though._ "Hi Houjou!"

"My lovely Kagome!" Houjou said, hugging and kissing her softly. "Don't worry, Mrs. Higurashi, I'll have her home on time."

"As always!" Mrs. Higurashi replied.

Houjou had packed a picnic, and drove them in his new car to a park. "A nighttime picnic! How romantic!" Kagome said as she looked in his bag at the food he prepared.

"Kagome, have you thought any more about going to the same high school as me?" Houjou asked. "We'd get to spend time together that way."

Kagome smiled. "That sounds like fun." She reached over and put her hand on his. "I'm kinda crazy about you, after all."She spread the blanket out and the food, and they chatted as they ate. "Hey Houjou, what are you going to do after high school?"

Houjou smiled. "Well, marry the woman of my dreams if she'll have me!" He said. "And further my education, of course. My family is highly respected in the medical community."

"I'll say." Kagome said. "I saw your mother mentioned in the newspaper the other day. She's quite the humanitarian." She grimaced, knowing she'd simply lead to her own disgust by mentioning his mother, who Houjou hadn't quite outgrown. While not particularly rebellious, her adventures on the other side of the well and her own life had made her mother more of a friend than someone Kagome was desperately dependent on. Plus, she'd practically been a mother to Shippou herself.

They walked hand in hand for awhile after they finished eating. "I've been thinking, Kagome, that we've been going out for awhile now."

"Yep! Six months already!" She replied.

Houjou pulled her close to him, her lips inches from hers. "I love you, Kagome. Very, very much."

"I love you too, Houjou." Kagome said. He stared deep into her eyes, trying to find the words to say. "If you're asking for more, I'm ready if you are, Houjou."

Houjou trembled and nodded, pulling her closer. "Let me go get protection out of the car, okay? Wait here."

Kagome exhaled and walked back to the blanket, then took off the dress and shoes, laying on the blanket in her bra and panties. He returned and laid next to her and started kissing her. Houjou crawled on top of her and she parted her legs, letting them rub against each other.

Kagome sat up and took off her bra, and Houjou began to clumsily touch and squeeze her breasts. "Ow. Gentle there, Houjou." She said, giggling. Then, much to her horror, she saw a figure flip off a tree branch and land inches from Houjou. The boy didn't so much as stir, falling unconscious with a flick of Sesshomaru's wrist.

Kagome yelped and covered her breasts with her hands. "What the hell did you just do? And what are you doing here?!" She screamed.

Sesshomaru looked almost angry. "This Sesshomaru is ending this nonsense." He said. "Put your clothes back on, we will leave here."

"Nonsense? Nonsense?" Kagome yelled. "The only nonsensical thing I did was unseal you! Go away!"

He tilted his head. "This is an act of complete idiocy."

"It's my act, and I'll do it if I want to! I want sex! I'm curious about it, and I want to experience it!" Kagome hissed. "Now leave!" Sesshomaru simply stood there, glaring at her. "Is this about your stupid arm? You've been without it for 500 fucking years, it can wait one more fucking night!"

"Do not assume to know this Sesshomaru's mind." He said, picking Houjou up by the hair. "This is an insufficient male." He dropped Houjou and glared back at Kagome. "You know this. He does not arouse you."

"How do you know?" Kagome yelled. "How do you know anything about me?!"

"I know what you smell like when aroused." Sesshomaru said. "And there's not even a hint of it."

"How would you know that?!" Kagome yelled.

A devilish smirk crossed his face. "Do you remember certain acts of self-pleasure committed in a glade near Naraku's castle?"

The blood drained from Kagome's face.

"This Sesshomaru was napping in the tree when the little miko stripped naked and proceeded to do and moan very interesting things." He said. "That smell is not present here." Sesshomaru looked at Houjou with a foul expression. "Little miko, he is just a boy, and he has no clue as to how to appropriately handle a female."

"But I love him!" Kagome said.

"Nonsense." Sesshomaru said. "You loved Inuyasha."

Her eyes teared up. "Don't say his name, because he isn't here!" She shrieked.

Sesshomaru looked down at her. "If he was, what would he think of your decision to rut with a boy who doesn't love you or make you feel aroused? If my memory serves me, I lost a limb over his passion for you."

She sighed. "Turn around, I'm getting dressed. What are we supposed to do with him? He's going to want to know what happened when he wakes up and I'm gone."

"The truth." Sesshomaru said. "He suddenly became unconscious and you possessed cold feet."

"Alright." Kagome said. "Let's go, but I'm on your back, I don't like the way you carried me before." He shrugged and she jumped on his back, holding on tight as he sped through the city, fast enough no person would notice.

She squealed slightly when he jumped from one rooftop across several others, afraid they were going to fall. "You're going to kill me!" Kagome giggled. He didn't respond. "Hey, Sesshomaru, were you purring in your sleep last night?"

"Hai." He responded, as he landed deftly on the ground behind a building.

Sesshomaru landed gracefully in an alley. "My arm is under the street somehow. How does one get down there?" He asked.

"Must be something in the sewer. Ewww!" Kagome said. "Look, over there, if you pick up that round thing, we can go down into the sewer."

He did so and jumped down the hole, wincing and covering his nose. "That stench!" He growled. "It's terrible!"

Kagome nodded, her nose buried into the fabric on his back. After a few more growls, Sesshomaru started down the sewer, annoyed and disgusted by the assault the sewage had on his senses. Suddenly, his hand went to his side. "Something is down here." He whispered. He drew Tessaiga and quickly sprinted down a passage, ducking behind a corner to listen to the sound of voices.

"Yeah, I heard he was up for a sacrifice this year." One voice said.

"The Underground seems to be under pretty tight control." Another voice answered. "Any word on what exactly he intends?"

"None." The first voice said.

Sesshomaru's suspicious gaze made its way around the passage before he ran again, easily navigating the maze with his senses. "Hey, Sesshomaru?"

"What is it?" He answered.

"Your arm...didn't it go to hell with So'unga?" Kagome said. "If someone could get your arm, why wouldn't they be able to get So'unga?"

Sesshomaru stopped. "If we get close to So'unga, Tenseiga and Tessaiga will be disturbed. I do not sense the demonic aura of the sword, nor do I see any rampant killing spree occuring. If So'unga is here in this world, it's held by someone powerful enough to suppress its youki." He said.

"We could be in real trouble." Kagome said.

Sesshomaru scoffed. "You think someone could defeat this Sesshomaru?"

"Of course not." She said as Sesshomaru slowed down, his hand moving over a brick wall. "Is this some kind of passage or something?"

As if on cue, a brick gave way and the wall slid open. When Kagome's eyes adjusted to the light, she realized they were in a cavern, which was nearly pitch black. "This place...the smell of demonic blood is heavy." Sesshomaru said.

"This looks like a fighting ring of some kind." Kagome said, noticing the pit on the floor and the seating all around. "Demons must fight here."

Tessaiga glinted in the slight light in the room and Sesshomaru quickly turned. "You need to leave, the ring is closed for tonight." A man said.

"You have something that belongs to me." Sesshomaru said. "I am Sesshomaru, does this name mean nothing to you?"

Suddenly, bright lights came on, temporarily blinding both Sesshomaru and Kagome. "No. But every two-bit demon who comes here thinks I should know him." The man finally emerged from behind a curtain at a pit in the side of the ring. "I am Katsu, master of the ring!"

"You are hanyou." Sesshomaru said. "I am not fond of half-breeds such as yourself."

Katsu laughed. "Do you wish to fight me? To be poisoned with my mighty claws?"

Sesshomaru put his hand on Kagome's leg, nudging her to get down. In an almost inaudible whisper, he handed her the sheath of Tessaiga. "Stay close but safe." Kagome nodded and Sesshomaru leapt into the dirt ring with Katsu.

"A one armed man believes he can defeat me?" Katsu said, swinging at Sesshomaru, who simply dodged his attack. "Perhaps you have not heard, for I am master of the ring!"

"You speak too much." Sesshomaru said, throwing the man down. Katsu clawed across Sesshomaru's face, poison dripping from the claws on his left hand.

"Feel the wrath of my poison!" Katsu said, his expression drooping as he realized it wasn't affecting Sesshomaru. "You...you're immune to poison?"

Sesshomaru smirked and threw the man back to his feet. "You too fight with only one hand, even though you have both. Interesting." He scowled.

"My left arm is my stronger!" Katsu declared.

"Yours?" Sesshomaru said, smashing Katsu into the wall. "This arm smells nothing like the rest of your body."

_Wow, he seems to be enjoying this._ Kagome thought. _But why not? The guy has been using his arm for seemingly terrible things._ Her mind drifted back to his warning. _His voice was so...sexy when he whispered like that._

"It was a gift for my services." Katsu said, "I possess the arm of a god, you should know your place. Stop playing with me and get that rusty blade out of my face."

Sesshomaru transformed Tessaiga, and kicked Katsu to the ground. "This is Tessaiga. You will not insult this blade for you are not worthy to fall upon it."

"I, who posses the arm of a god?" Katsu said.

"Do you know what those markings even are?" Sesshomaru asked. Katsu glared suspiciously at Sesshomaru and clawed at him. "You are unworthy of that arm. It should return to the body it grew from." He said, pulling up his sleeve and showing Katsu his own markings. With one swing of Tessaiga, the arm fell into Sesshomaru's hands. Sesshomaru held it to his arm and it simply merged with his body.

"You took my arm!" Katsu screamed.

"No, I took my arm." Sesshomaru said, holding his hand up. "What is the fate of So'unga?"

Katsu clenched his teeth together, struggling with pain and blood loss. "I will tell you nothing!"

"You reek of Orochi, that is probably wise." Sesshomaru said. "Tell your master that Sesshomaru sends his regards. Before he kills you, preferably."


	3. Never Again, Kagome!

**Chapter 3**

Sesshomaru said a total of zero words on the way back, seeming pensive. When they got home, Kagome sat on the edge of the bed and took her shoes off. "Is something wrong?"

"The scent on my claws is most unpleasant." Sesshomaru said. "My left arm aches, there is some sort of presence in it."

"Huh?" Kagome asked as she followed Sesshomaru to the bathroom, where he scrubbed under his nails, then eventually reached for her toothbrush. "Hey! That's for my teeth, not your fingernails."

Sesshomaru felt the skin on his left arm then made a long cut in the flesh with his other hand. Sesshomaru sniffed the blood on his finger and frowned. "There is some sort of serum in this arm, it seeks to suppress my will."

"Are you going to be okay?" Kagome asked.

He glared at Kagome. "Do not assume such lowly means could control this Sesshomaru." Kagome watched as his left hand turned to a fist and Sesshomaru winced.

"That looks...painful." She said.

"It does, Master!" Myoga said, emerging from Kagome's hair. "It must be powerful to fight you." Sesshomaru glared at the flea.

Sesshomaru sniffed it again. "It's the blood of an Orochi Daiyoukai."

Myoga threw his arms up in the air. "But those...those are extinct! And they have been for many, many years! You father made sure of that!"

"Huh?" Kagome said. "Maybe one lived?"

"No." Sesshomaru said. "We killed them all. Every last one." His eyes seemed to flash red, as if infuriated. He grunted and started to shake.

"Sesshomaru, lay down and rest." Kagome commanded.

"I'm fine!" Sesshomaru barked, although he did lay down on her bed and close his eyes.

Kagome felt his forehead and noticed he was burning up. "I'm going to go get some ice." She said, leaving the room. Everyone else was already in bed, so she crept through the house slowly and took a whole bag of ice out of the freezer. "Hey Myoga." She whispered. "What was up with that?"

Myoga jumped into her ear, so that not even Sesshomaru could hear his response. "The Prince of the Orochi Daiyoukai killed Sesshomaru's younger sister. Sesshomaru and his father exterminated them all for it. Their blood is extremely toxic and can be used as a mind control agent."

Kagome nodded and went back upstairs, and filled the bathtub with cold water and ice. By the time she returned to her room to get him, Sesshomaru was thrashing around on the bed, sweating and murmuring. "Come on, Sesshomaru, you need to cool down." Kagome practically had to drag him into the bathroom, and stripped off everything but his pants. He sluggishly sank into the tub of ice, shivering at first.

"I didn't know Sesshomaru could be poisoned like that." Kagome said. "Not even Naraku could do that to him. Can you suck the poison out?"

"No. It would kill me instantly." Myoga sat on the edge of the bathtub. "Orochi Daiyoukai aren't like the Orochi you saw when you were with Inuyasha, Kagome. They are ancient beasts that walked the earth with other terrible creatures like themselves."

Kagome picked up his arm and saw a line of black under the skin. "Maybe this is where the poison is." She said, pointing. "This black line."

With a confused expression, Myoga hopped onto the arm. "I don't see anything there, Kagome. But if you can see something, maybe we can bleed it out."

Kagome nodded. "His claws will work better than a kitchen knife, right?" She asked, picking up his limp right hand and dragging it by the index finger toward his left arm. With a little pressure, she felt it penetrate the skin, and she drug the claw down the peculiar black streak. The strange substance that started to ooze from the arm gave off a fume that knocked her unconscious on the spot.

When she awoke again, she tried to get up, but couldn't. Then tried to speak, but couldn't. _Am I paralyzed? I can't speak or even open my eyes! The poison, it must have gotten to me somehow. _She could tell she was on her bed, with blankets over her no less.

"Kagome! Kagome!" Myoga cried. "You poor thing!"

"Silence, Myoga." Sesshomaru snapped. "She'll awaken in her own time. Let her rest."

The flea sat down on Kagome's shoulder. "I regret that I forgot to tell her about the fumes, for a human they are so toxic!"

"There is something amiss here, Myoga." Sesshomaru said. "Her miko powers completely vanished, I could not sense any trace of it on her. But she was able to see the poison, and has that peculiar aura of purity."

"Her miko powers have returned?" Myoga asked. "What would cause such a change?"

Sesshomaru hesitated. "I believe it was all a very clever, cruel scheme." He looked over at Kagome. "I do not know exactly why or what the purpose of this is, but I fear all the troubles that occurred with Naraku were intentionally instigated from this time period."

"If Kagome had never crossed over...Inuyasha would have remained sealed forever, Tessaiga would never have left your father's tomb, the jewel shards wouldn't even exist..." Myoga said, processing Sesshomaru's words. "Everything would be different."

Sesshomaru stared out the window. "It is cause for suspicion."

_Is he saying what I think he's saying?_ Kagome thought. _That everything I went through was just someone intentionally hurting other people for their own selfish reasons? My experiences were supposed to ruin all those lives? _

"I heard the other miko say she took the jewel with her into the afterlife." Sesshomaru said. "When have you ever heard of such a thing simply returning to the reincarnation?"

Myoga sadly replied. "Poor Kagome. You mustn't tell her what you think, until we know for sure."

"I do know that I am disturbed by this Orochi business." Sesshomaru said.

Kagome felt like her body had suddenly been set free, opening her eyes and sitting up. "Wow." She said.

"Kagome! You're awake!" Myoga said. "Are you feeling alright?"

She nodded. "You guys should know I just heard your whole conversation, but I couldn't open my eyes or talk." Kagome felt the anger building up in her as she fisted her hands. "I understand why you think this may have all been a plot. Frankly, it infuriates me. My life and my experiences will not be used to hurt others. I choose to take what I know, and I choose to fight back!"

"Kagome, you have a new start here, you don't know what you're asking!" Myoga said. "You can just forget everything and move on."

"No. I can't." Kagome said. "I'm not going to just let someone get away with playing with me like I'm some sort of toy!"

Sesshomaru looked straight into her eyes. "So be it." He said. Kagome nodded, anger still washing over her as she remembered all the cruel things she had seen in feudal Japan. _Who would plot such a thing?_ She thought as sleep claimed her again.

When she awoke, Sesshomaru and Myoga had disappeared.

The ride to school left her head clouded. _Why would someone send me back in time like that? Anything could have happened! I bet whoever it was didn't count on me shattering it. _She thought. _Then again, I don't think anybody did. Inuyasha seemed pretty pissed at the time._

_Maybe Sesshomaru changed his mind about letting me help him? Myoga seemed very much against it, but I think he's just worried about me. Sesshomaru isn't Inuyasha by any means, and probably won't go out of his way to protect me, which means I'll have to hold my own this time. Maybe I should go get a bow after school..._

"Kagome?"

Ripped from her thoughts, she saw Houjou standing nearby. "What happened? I woke up and you were gone, and you didn't return any of my calls or call me. Did I do something wrong?"

Kagome frowned. "Houjou, you've been good to me. Really, really good. I have some things in my life that need my attention, and I can't do that and have you."

"Can I help? Are you sick?" Houjou asked.

"No." Kagome said. "This is something I have to do by myself." She kissed him lightly on the cheek, a silent apology for the heartbreak she knew he was feeling.

She left the forlorn boy standing in front of their school and went through the day in a complete daze. _What am I doing? This is my second chance, why am I so eager to screw it up? Sesshomaru is probably going to be impossible to work with and god knows what he's going after._

"Higurashi Kagome?"

_But he seems like he cares at least somewhat about what happens to me._

"Higurashi Kagome?"

_He did look pretty funny holding Houjou up like that, as embarrassing as that whole ordeal was._

"Kagome!" Ayumi screamed. Kagome's head shot back. "You're nose!"

Kagome looked down at a huge pool of blood on her desk and screamed. "Oh no!" She ran into the bathroom and held tissue paper over her nose, but it just didn't seem to stop bleeding. _The poison must have done something to me. I need to find Myoga and Sesshomaru, this can't be good._ _I'm starting to feel so dizzy, I hope I'm not about to pass out..._

_Yep. I passed out._ Kagome thought as she woke up. "Well, fuck!" She muttered as she tried to figure out where she was. "Where am I?"

"The hospital!" Kagome's mom answered, squeezing her hand. "You're very sick, Kagome, your nose started bleeding at school and you passed out!"

She looked around the room, and noticed the packet of blood dripping into her arm. "What's wrong with me?"

"The doctors aren't sure yet, but they'll save you, sis!" Souta said.

"Great." Kagome said sarcastically.

A few minutes later, a doctor came in. "Ah..." He looked down at his paper. "Kagome! You're awake. If it's alright with your family, I'd like to have a moment alone with you."

"What for?" Mrs. Higurashi asked.

The doctor gave her a corny and obvious wink. "You know, sometimes these rebellious teens don't like for their parents to hear all the cool stuff they do."

"Oh." She replied, covering her mouth. "Come Souta, let's go get a snack."

When the two left, the doctor sat in a chair next to Kagome. "You know, I too had a rebellious age. I experimented with drugs, stayed out past my curfew, and drank a lot." He said. "I can tell you, it's just not worth it!"

"Wh-what are you talking about?" Kagome asked.

The doctor leaned in. "I know what you've been doing. But don't worry, I won't tell the police. I'm what most kids think of as a 'cool doctor.' So, what was it? Paint and some sort of cleaning chemical?"

"Huh?" Kagome asked. _Is this guy on drugs now? What the hell is he doing?_

"I'm asking what you inhaled that was so poisonous." The doctor asked. "I won't judge!"

Kagome blinked a few times and stared at the doctor. "I think I'm done here." She said, throwing the sheets off and getting off the bed and pulling the needle from her arm.

"Kagome, I can always tell a court that you need rehabilitation." The doctor threatened.

She rolled her eyes. "I can tell them you told my family to leave and then tried to touch me."

The doctor and Kagome stood, locked in a staring contest. _What was that? That was so unlike me, and yet it felt...good. Maybe it's the poison._ The doctor seemed resolute, but deep in thought, eventually collapsing under fear of what Kagome threatened.

Even after she had been released and gone home, there was still no sign of Sesshomaru or Myoga, which really worried her. _What if he went back to that ring to find more answers? Maybe he's still sick from the poison._ She sighed. _I could find my way back there, I think. If there are a lot of people there, I'll be safe. If not, I'll just leave. If I'm going to do this...I've got to be able to hold my own. I will not be a burden. I will not require constant rescue._

Ten minutes later, when her mother came to check on her, Kagome was gone. She hailed a taxi and nervously got in. She instructed the driver where to take her, then spent the next twenty minutes torn between telling him to turn around and telling him to drive faster. When he dropped her off. "I'm going to be awhile, don't wait." Kagome said, paying the driver.

She carefully climbed down into the sewer, and noticed immediately that things seemed noisier than they had the other night. _Alright, so there are other people. No reason to worry, they're probably just demons coming to see a fight or something._ Kagome simply continued walking, following the sounds of whooping and yelling.

When she got near the door, she could almost feel the excitement from the ring fight, the crowd erupting in noise. Kagome entered the cavern and stood away from the ring, slightly appalled by what she saw. A bear demon and a canine of some sort were rolling around in the dirt, growling and biting and scratching one another. _Hey, that's not just any canine!_

"KOUGA!" She screamed.

Kouga's head shot up and his eyes met hers. "Kagome..." He mouthed, turning and giving the bear a series of lightning-fast kicks to the chest. The bear fell down, and Kouga left the ring to the side, wearing a stunned expression. She stood there, waiting for a few minutes until a hand took hers and tugged slightly. Kouga grinned and swooped her up in his arms, getting away from the noise. He held her close with one hand as he came out of a sewer entrance near the fighting ring.

"Kouga!" Kagome yelled.

"Shhh...be patient." He said, flashing a flirty, familiar grin at her. With just a few leaps, he came to a stop on top of a tall building. He held her close to him and smiled. "My woman...this is your real time then, eh?"

"How did you know?" Kagome asked.

"Sango told me after you disappeared." Kouga said. "I thought Dogturd had killed you or something, but don't worry, I tried to avenge your death."

Kagome sighed. "I know you didn't like him, but could you please not call him that? He died...a horrible death."

Kouga broke eye contact. "Yeah..." His eyes seemed sad when he looked back up at her. "When I heard what had happened, I was shocked. One minute they were all happy, and the next thing I hear, they're all dead."

"Were you happy?" Kagome asked. "After everything?"

Kouga grunted. "Of course not. We all looked for the jewel shards like they were a good thing, I wish I had known how much misery they'd eventually bring to everyone."

Kagome smiled as she looked at Kouga, who looked only slightly older than he did the last time she had seen him. He was wearing the same kind of clothing, he was still barefoot, and his eyes were still some of the most beautiful she'd ever seen.

"Hey, come here, Gorgeous." He said, smirking. Two arms wrapped around her waist and pulled her onto his lap. "I missed you, Kagome." Kouga whispered, resting his head on her shoulder. He nuzzled her neck and then kissed it, making Kagome shiver.

_Whoa! That felt nice!_

Kouga sighed and held her tightly. "I have to go, Love. I've got another fight soon. Wanna come watch?"

Kagome bit her lip. "Can we talk after?"

"Of course." Kouga said, pecking her on the cheek. "Shall we?" He said, scooping her up in his arms.

A few minutes later, Kagome found herself sitting near the edge of the ring, waiting for Kouga's fight. "The smell of wolf is most unbecoming." She heard from behind her.

"Sesshomaru?" She yelped as she turned. But she didn't recognize the strange man standing behind her.

The man standing behind her was a handsome man with black hair and green eyes, appearing to be of English descent from his features and accent. At each arm he had one of two demoness twins, beautiful tall creatures with lush purple hair and large breasts. He laughed at her comment. "So it is true. Would you happen to be the naughty, naughty wench that freed him?"

"Who are you?" Kagome snapped.

"Drake." He replied, "And these two ladies are my adorable concubines. Pity, I have someone for each arm, but no one for my lap." Drake said, drooping his bottom lip. "Care to join us?"

Kagome gawked at the man and would have slapped him in the face, but she was slightly frightened of him, so she just walked away. Just as she sat down across the ring from Drake, the announcer's voice boomed through the room. "And now! Kouga the Wolf Versus Kandra The Flesh Eater!" He said as Kouga walked out into the pit.

A net was lowered from above, the creature in it thrashing around. Kagome had seen one like it once before, the beast Jinenji defeated when she was in feudal Japan. _Oh, Kouga, be careful! Those guys are nasty!_

Kouga looked up at her and grinned, then lunged for Kandra as she was freed from the net. One, two, three times she snapped at Kouga, missing by just inches, which is exactly how he wanted it. "You smell delllicious..." The worm-like monster cooed at Kouga.

Kouga dove and rolled across the ground, kicking the creature in it's soft underbelly. "When I want to see a huge worm, I'll get naked!" He shot back, making the crowd erupt in laughter.

"You know you're blushing." Kagome heard, turning to see Drake standing behind her. "Are you fond of the wolf? He is handsome."

_This guy is starting to creep me out. There's something about him that scares me._ She thought. "Look, I said I wanted you to leave me alone. Get away from me!" Kagome snapped.

"Now, now, my dear." Drake said. "No one tells me what to do." He leaned in and Kagome suddenly felt her body warm up all over.

_I feel so strange, what's happening to me?_ Kagome thought as she felt herself turn. _Oh no! What's he doing? My body is moving and I'm telling it not too. Is this...please don't let this be the Orochi monster Sesshomaru was talking about._ She watched in horror as she followed Drake and his harlots out into the sewer and into a small enclosed area.

"On your knees." Drake commanded. Kagome felt her body slide down, her knees touching the disgusting concrete floor of the sewer. "Open your mouth, Wench." He said, unzipping his pants. "I'm going to teach you a lesson about giving me orders."

"I think not."

_It's Sesshomaru!_

_Wait...IS that Sesshomaru?!_

Sesshomaru stood behind Drake, his hair trimmed so that it grazed his shoulders. His clothes were unmistakably modern, donning a black leather trench coat, black slacks, and a blood red t-shirt. He reached over his head and drew Tessaiga, which was sheathed on his back.

Drake stepped back when the blade transformed. "You are his son then, aren't you?"

"Pathetic." Sesshomaru said, swinging at Drake, who dodged him with super speed. He haphazardly threw Kagome onto his back just as Drake disappeared into thin air. "Coward." He said, somewhat relieved he didn't have to have a huge fight in such a small space. His eyes shifted to the two small hands clawing into his shoulders. "Miko, what is it?" He knew the sounds he heard were suppressed sobs. "Kagome?"

"He was..." Kagome cried. "He was..."

"Hush." Sesshomaru commanded. "Not here. Understand?"

She nodded and closed her eyes, clinging to him for dear life. As he navigated around the city, she was vaguely aware that he was growling, albeit softly. The sound rumbled through his body. "Are you okay?" Kagome asked.

"Hai." He responded, sharply.

"I'm sorry for going there." Kagome said. "If that's what your mad about."

Sesshomaru landed in a garden she'd never seen before. "I said I was fine." He snapped.

"What is this place?" Kagome asked.

"My new home." Sesshomaru said. "I found our kingdom's treasury to be untouched." He said, as Kagome's eyes wandered around the beautiful garden, noting all the tall trees. There was a fairly large house as well. He walked into the house and Kagome slid off his back. "You should call your mother." He said, making his suggestion sound more like a command.

"Why?" Kagome asked.

"I went to find you and she was laying on your bed crying for you." Sesshomaru said, his voice still sounding angry.

Kagome walked in front of him. "Why are you fucking mad at me? I said I was sorry."

"I said I was not upset that you went there." Sesshomaru said.

"What are you upset about then?" Kagome asked, her own rage starting to surface.

Sesshomaru sighed. "Nothing. Call your mother. Then, get out."

"What is your fucking problem?" Kagome said. "If I haven't done anything to piss you off, then you shouldn't be pissed off at me."

"Leave." Sesshomaru said, firmly.

Kagome walked away from her and slammed the door. "Fine." _What the fuck is his problem?_ She thought as she walked around the grounds, totally lost. _I said I was sorry. He says he isn't mad, but everything he does indicates otherwise. If he hates me so much, why did he come after me in the first place?_ She was walking next to a sparkling swimming pool when Sesshomaru ran into her, knocking them both in the water.

Sesshomaru pulled her head up. "Do not EVER come to me or speak to me while you smell like this." He harshly dunked her head again, and she choked. "The next time, I'll let you get the back of your throat fucked out."

Kagome was terrified. "Sesshomaru, stop! What are you talking about?!"

"Kouga." He growled.

"Are you jealous of him or something?" Kagome asked. Sesshomaru threw a deadly glare her way and she knew not to say anything else. Instead, she swam to the edge and pulled herself up to sit on it, her legs still in the water.

Sesshomaru smelled the salt of her tears and she started to cry. "Sesshomaru, I don't know what to do or say. You saved me from something horrible tonight, but you're so angry at me. I just...tell me what to do."

"You scared me." Sesshomaru blurted out, looking up at her. "I will tell you something no one else knows, but you have to get back in."

Kagome slid back into the water and found herself held uncomfortably close to Sesshomaru's chest. "You're sad." She said.

"When my brother almost killed me with the Wind Scar, Tenseiga teleported me into the woods near a village." He said. "I was unable to move, and anyone who found me would have been able to kill me. So I wasn't happy when I smelled a human approaching. But it was a little girl, and even though I hissed and tried to frighten her, she kept trying to take care of me."

"Rin." Kagome said.

Sesshomaru nodded. "She was the first I resurrected with Tessaiga, the first person I cared enough about to feel sadness for."

"I didn't know she died." Kagome said.

His eyes met hers with blistering rage. "Rin was ripped apart and half-eaten by Kouga's wolves." Kagome gasped. "When I smelled both of your scents in the air, I was angry that he had killed you. Instead, I tracked you to that rooftop and smelled nothing but arousal."

Kagome looked away. "I'm sorry, Sesshomaru, I didn't know." She wrapped her arms around her neck and her legs around his stomach, holding him close. Sesshomaru put his arms around her and held her like that, even though he found it extremely uncomfortable. He had his own reason. Unlike Kagome, he was well aware the wolf had traced her scent and found them there, Kagome in an intimate embrace. The wolf watched them for a moment and then disappeared into the night.

But Sesshomaru wasn't quite ready to let go of her.


	4. The Truth

**Chapter 4**

Kagome swallowed hard as she stood at the bottom of the steps that lead to The Higurashi Shrine, the events from the previous night reeling through her mind. She started to walk up the steps, holding back the tears that threatened to fall from her sad eyes. At the top of the steps, she would capture her own freedom and calm the storm of her soul. As she held her shaking hands up, she knew this was going to be one of the hardest things she'd ever have to face. The knots in her stomach threatened to stop her where she should, but she summoned all her resolve and sprinted up the stairs and across the courtyard.

Kagome reached into the sweater and pulled a letter out of the pocket. She bit her lip as she placed it on the table. If they really knew what it meant, they'd understand. Then, while she realized she didn't have the courage to stay, she ran

_Goodbye Higurashi Kagome._

"It is done?" Sesshomaru said when she got to the end of the block.

Kagome nodded. _I'm finally free._

In the house where she grew up, Kagome's mother walked into the kitchen and picked up a tear-soaked envelope.

_My Dearest Family,_

_I love you all so much._

_Due to circumstances no sane person would ever believe, I have been living two lives. In the first life, that which you so lovingly gave me, I was perfectly happy. My dreams were my goals, and I was free to pursue them. Were it not for the intervention of fate, I'd simply grow up and live to fulfill the dreams I held for most of my life._

_But things didn't go my way._

_The life I live that you have never seen is terrifying and tainted with blood and strife. I was given a chance to leave it all behind, but my soul forbids me from doing so. I used to wonder why I missed it so much, but now I know. My soul was forged into something stronger amidst the struggle, and the defining moments of my life occurred when I was pushed to the limit. It is who I am. My old life, undeniably the best, won't ever be who I am. Life, for me, has changed too much for me to go back._

_The time has come for me to be strong and stand on my own. For me, this means I can't continue living this double life. I have chosen the life I love least, because I have made it my own through efforts and tears. Don't feel upset about this because I can finally embrace my own destiny with everything I have in me. And that makes me happy._

_Love always, _

_Kagome_

Kagome sat on the bed in a bedroom at Sesshomaru's house, realizing how much she missed the comforts of her old room. Her mind kept rewinding to the previous night, and all the things that raced through her mind as she sat in the garden, shivering and wet. After holding her close for what seemed an eternity, he whispered three little words in her ear and left her. Infuriated, she climbed out of the pool and soon found herself overcome by what he'd asked her.

"_Who are you?"_

The words kept echoing in her mind. What did she desire most in life?

_Since I fell in that well, all but one thing I desired was selfless, and I missed the one thing I wanted for myself. Inuyasha..._ She thought, laying down. _I wish you were here._

_Everything we went through together made me strong, even if you aren't here to see it. I know you would have wanted me to live a normal life and be happy, but that's just not possible. You're all dead now, and I could never life my life and ignore what I've found out. I can't forget that the suffering that crushed so many in your time was all some big plan. _

_I'm going to take that strength you gave me, and I'm going to strike back. Rest in peace, my love, because I'm doing this for me. This is what I desire._

Sesshomaru knocked on the door and came in, a box in his hands. "Here." Kagome took the box and opened it up, frowning at the thin clothing inside. "It's woven with fire rat fur and dragon scales. You can wear it under your clothes."

Kagome stretched the fabric, "Where would you find that stuff now?"

"This Sesshomaru is highly resourceful." He said, walking out into the hall. "It should protect you from most damage."

_I can't believe I'm doing this. _Kagome thought. _On the other side of the well, I sometimes used archery, but I really wasn't a huge part of combat. I don't even know if I can do this._ The clothing was like a second skin, clinging to her in places she'd rather not show Sesshomaru, but she shrugged. "Okay!"

Sesshomaru re-entered. "This is an Inu tradition, a way of initiating an apprentice." He said, putting another box down. When he took a small contraption out of it, he held her right hand and started to fasten it to her wrist. "This is a concealed blade." He explained. Then, he removed a light layer of armor and held it in place as he laced it onto her, covering her from the chest to the hips. "This will help prevent internal bruising." Kagome nodded, noting how light it was. Then, he took a strange strap that criss-crossed her chest and back, fastening in between her breasts.

"Close your eyes." Sesshomaru said. Kagome nervously did so, and felt the weight in her body change as a metallic 'ting!' rang through the room. "Alright, open them."

Kagome opened her eyes and looked around, then noticed the extra weight was on her back. She reached up and her hands seemed to find something, so she grasped and pulled, unsheathing twin broadswords. She gasped and stared at them. "Are you fucking kidding me?"

Sesshomaru almost grinned. "They are called Shuang Dao. You are both human and female, so you're at a natural disadvantage with most weapons. With a weapon that uses both hands, you can use more of your strength." He neglected to tell her where they came from, since that would spoil some very interesting surprises for Kagome.

_Wow, these are scary. _She thought. "I can't do this. This isn't me!" Kagome yelped as Sesshomaru left her alone.

Kagome stood in front of the mirror, barely recognizing the person looking back at her. She nervously slid the blades back into their sheaths on her back, then unbuckled and removed the harness.

Myoga hopped on her shoulder. "Hi Kagome!"

"Hi Myoga." She replied. "Can you believe he expects me to be able to use those?" She asked him, laughing.

Myoga sighed. "You know, Kagome, everything we've seen indicates we're dealing with a very strong power. There are only two of you, so this is probably going to be a huge challenge. You have so much untapped potential, Kagome."

Kagome looked down at the blades. _This is crazy, what the hell was he thinking? _"I can't believe Sesshomaru expects me to be able to use these." Kagome said. "Me...swords!"

"Why not?" Myoga asked.

_...I hadn't thought of it like that._ Kagome said to herself.

"You know, Kagome, your great spiritual powers have always been unrefined and unused, since you were always able to depend on Inuyasha." Myoga said. "You never really grew much into your own there, and I think that caused unnecessary stress. With your new state of determination, you can finally harness your own power and learn to stand on your own. It will take courage and hard work, but you can do it!"

Kagome stifled a giggle. "Funny hearing you speak on the subject of courage, Mr. I-Smell-Trouble-And-Run!"

"Hey! Leave me out of this!" Myoga said.

Kagome picked up one of the blades and stared at it. "What if I can't do it?"

"This is your chance, Kagome!" Myoga said. "I believe you're capable of things almost no other human is, and I believe Sesshomaru shares this opinion, otherwise you wouldn't be here." He sighed and paced around for a few seconds. "What's the harm in trying?"

_Damn you, Myoga. _Kagome thought as she stared out the window._ If you could see me now, Inuyasha, you'd laugh for a week. _Kagome put on the pink sweater and black pants she'd been wearing earlier, put her hair up, and emerged from her room with the blades at rest on her back, totally unconcealed. When she emerged from her room, she looked from side to side to see Sesshomaru standing at the end of the hall, watching her with a look of certain admiration.

"Ready?" Sesshomaru asked.

Kagome nodded. "Let's go!"

As he quickly leapt from building to building, Kagome laughed. "If I could go back in time, and tell you this is what you'd be doing in five centuries, what would you do?"

"Kill myself." Sesshomaru responded without hesitation, coming to a stop on a rooftop. He ran behind a chimney and stood these for a moment, monitoring the immediate area with his senses. "This is it."

"Huh?" Kagome asked.

Myoga answered her. "There's a human in there named Hiro, he is responsible for capturing the demons used in ring fights. He has to know how the place is run." Kagome knelt and peeked around the corner of the chimney, watching a peculiar man standing on the balcony of an apartment.

Kagome twisted her body and held onto Sesshomaru's shoulder's, giving them a little pressure to let him know she was ready.

One quick leap later, she found herself only feet from the man. "Hiro?" Sesshomaru asked, reaching for Tessaiga. Kagome slid off his back and stood resolutely behind him. "Who orchestrates the fights?" Sesshomaru said.

"I'm not tellin' the likes of you nothin'." Hiro replied. "But I'll touch this pretty lil' thang if you wanna leave 'er here." He said, staring at her breasts.

Sesshomaru put the hand that was intended to hold Tessaiga down and nodded at Kagome. _What's that supposed to mean? Oh..._ Kagome thought as she reached behind her head and drew, glaring at Hiro. "Wh-wh-who runs the ring?" She stuttered, grasping the swords hard enough her hands were white.

Hiro sneered at her and burst out laughing. "Well ain't you scary!" He stepped closer to her and the blades started to lightly clatter together as Kagome held them in front of her with shaking hands. "You're lookin' pretty cute right about now."

_Do something, Sesshomaru, this is too scary! I can't do this! Oh no, I bet this is some sort of a lesson, and I'm supposed to get something from all this. All I'm getting is sexual harassment! _Kagome thought. She looked up at Sesshomaru, who stood behind Hiro with a strangely bored expression, unmoved by the situation. The situation seemed to be at a stalemate, with Kagome nervously watching Hiro, who ignored the unspoken threat she issued to him.

Finally, a low growl came from Sesshomaru, who yanked Hiro back by the hair and flashed his claws, letting poison drip from them. Hiro watched the poison drip onto the balcony, then burn through the concrete. "Look...I don't know much!" Hiro stuttered.

"Silence." Sesshomaru suddenly snapped. "What business have you with the wolf?"

_What's going on here? _Kagome thought as Sesshomaru's mood seemed to instantly deteriorate.

"Dogbreath, you let him go!" Kouga yelled as he leapt from another building toward them, landing on the balcony rail. "Nobody gets to Hiro without going through me!" He exclaimed, without so much as looking at Kagome. "Especially not a Dogturd like you, Sesshomaru!"

"Kouga, please!" Kagome interrupted.

Kouga's eyes met hers and he shook his head. "Sorry, Kagome, you're too far gone with this creep. Hiro is a nice guy, and I'm not allowed to let this ass hurt my friend."

Sesshomaru grabbed Kouga by the throat, ignoring several retaliatory kicks to his torso and glared at Kouga in a way that scared even the wolf. Kouga knew that Sesshomaru was a stronger demon; that fact wasn't even up for debate. What troubled him even more was the enraged look in his eyes.

"Stop!" Kagome shouted. "Kouga, why don't you trust me?"

"I...do." He gasped, struggling against the hand clutching his throat.

"Then why won't you tell us what's going on?" Kagome asked.

Sesshomaru let Kouga go and he fell to the ground, rubbing his neck. "Look, I don't give a shit what Sesshomaru does, but you've got no right to drag her into this! Your idiot brother put her through enough. Can't you just leave her alone?"

Two angry, canine growls rumbled on each side of Kagome. _Well, I did miss life on the other side of the well, didn't I? If only I could 'sit' them both through the balcony floor._ She sighed. "There's no reason to fight, please talk to me, Kouga." Kagome said.

"We're slaves." Kouga blurted out. "There's this demon, he's a mind controller."

"Drake." Kagome said. Kouga nodded.

"What do you mean by 'slave?' What type of suppression is used on you?" Sesshomaru asked.

Kouga rolled over his arm, and Kagome noticed the black streak running up it. "Drake tells us what to do. And if we don't do it, this demon blood that he injects into our arms somehow turns to poison. It's like torture."

"Hmm." Sesshomaru said. "Drake seemed like a pawn."

Kouga leaned in closer. "He is the weakest of the Four Lords of the Tokyo Underground. There's Drake, and two others I don't know the names of. One is a huge Orochi, and I've heard their leader is a dragon." He turned to Kagome. "Kagome, go inside."

"What?" Kagome

"Please." Sesshomaru said, realizing Kouga obviously wanted to say something Kagome didn't need to hear.

"That's only three." Sesshomaru snapped when the door slid shut.

Kouga's voice lowered to a whisper. "The fourth is The Master Illusionist." His eyes cautiously darted around. "I saw him last year, and I recognized his scent from the old days. He's the pup Kagome adopted."

Kagome huffed and walked over to a slightly cracked open window, and decided to eavesdrop.

"The kitsune?" Sesshomaru asked.

"The kid vanished into thin air a few years after Inuyasha died." Kouga said. "He was grown, he had a wife and a kid on the way, and he just disappeared. Five hundred years later, I run into him and he's a fucking lunatic and a sadistic bastard. I think...I may be the only one who knows who he really is, and that's only because I knew his scent from when he was a pup. Something happened to him. He did something to his wife, there's no way she should still be alive, but she is and she isn't right in the head and doesn't smell human."

Sesshomaru absorbed the information and thought for a moment. "Who is this woman and where can I find her?"

Kouga crossed his arms and poised himself to leap off the balcony. "He married that cute little brat that used to follow you everywhere. I have no idea where she is now." He slid off the rail and quickly disappeared from sight.

Standing alone on the balcony, Sesshomaru's hands turned to fists as he struggled to keep his composure. "Rin..." He said softly, his voice seeming so sad. In his own mind, he tried to reconcile his memories of the girl, which were mostly very happy, with the fact that she too had been cursed by fate. Shippou and Rin were just children the last time he saw either of them, but they both seemed so normal and happy. His nose suddenly told him they'd been watched, and he looked around and saw the window. "I can smell your tears, Kagome. You should not have spied like that."

_Shippou...I love you, and I'll find you, I promise. Whatever happened to you, it's going to be okay, we'll save you. We always do. _Kagome thought as she went back to Sesshomaru. "Are you okay, Sesshomaru?"

"No." He replied.

"Me neither." Kagome said. "Will you be able to pick up her scent if it's changed?"

He nodded and sadly responded. "I can always find Rin."

Kagome rested on his back while he raced to the edge of the city. "Hey, where are you going?"

"Rin would never tolerate Tokyo." Sesshomaru said. "She'd go mad in a city."

Kagome grinned. "When I think of Rin, I just see a cute little girl running barefoot through a field, picking flowers and chasing butterflies. It's hard to image her being an adult."

"Indeed." Sesshomaru replied.

They traveled without saying so much as a word for the better part of five hours, until he suddenly stiffened and sniffed the air. "I have her scent." He said, changing direction quickly. A few more miles brought them to a meadow filled with all kinds of flowers. "She smells human." He remarked. Kagome suddenly clawed into him. "What is it?"

"A jewel shard." Kagome said. "I sense a jewel shard!"

_How?_

_This can't be happening. The jewel is gone, gone gone! This isn't real, there's something wrong with me! _Kagome thought in horror, bile rising.

"Where?" Sesshomaru barked, just as Tenseiga and Tessaiga started to rumble on his back. His amber eyes seemed to almost panic as the swords were disturbed.

"It's...there!" Kagome shouted, pointing at a tree. She slid off his back and ran to the spot where the shard simply lay on the ground, glistening in the sunlight. As she reached down to pick it up, it suddenly turned to sand and her senses told her there was no shard. _What's going on? I'm so confused. I think Sesshomaru and I need to find Rin and get out of here, there's something weird happening here. _She turned to Sesshomaru, who had vanished. The sharp sound of a hiss caused her to jump as a snake struck at her from a tree branch.

Elsewhere, Sesshomaru realized he was trapped in an illusion, and the illusionist had suppressed most of his demonic senses completely. "I've waited for this day for a long time, Sesshomaru." A voice said.

Sesshomaru turned to see Shippou, who stood five feet tall, wore makeup like a female, and bore a wrathful tone and expression. "You killed Inuyasha."

"Kitsune, stop this nonsense right this instant." Sesshomaru commanded. "Where is Rin?"

"With Inuyasha." Shippou said.

Sesshomaru growled and unsheathed Tessaiga, charging at the man, who just disappeared. "Where is RIN?!" He yelled.

"Someplace you can't ever find her." Shippou said.

The fox demon vanished, and he looked beside his feet to see Rin, sleeping in the grass. She was a child, dressed in bright colored kimono he had bought her. Suddenly, she woke up and stared up at him. "Sesshomaru-sama?"

"Go back to sleep, Rin." Sesshomaru responded.

"No." Rin said. "I don't want to be with you anymore." As she stood, her features and body transformed into that of a beautiful adult. "Sesshomaru, why did you treat me like you did?"

Generally, he'd never, ever play any part in an illusion. But, this one was created by her husband, and he might be expressing a grievance she told him about at some point. "What do you mean?"

"As if I didn't matter to you." Rin said.

"Ridiculous." Sesshomaru said.

Rin smiled warmly. "When I was a little girl, the thing I wanted most was some sort of acknowledgment that I meant something to you. It never came."

"What would you ask of this Sesshomaru?" He said.

"You could have talked to me." Rin said. "You could have given me a hug, even just once. There were times I just wanted you to hold me and let me cry, but I knew you'd never have it. So I just kept all of my pain inside. I was so sad."

Sesshomaru watched in agony as Rin cried. "I saved your life."

Her eyes glittered as she changed back into a child and stared into his eyes. "No. I saved yours."

Sesshomaru gasped, blindsided by the words.

--------------------------------------------

"Don't be such a slut, Kagome. Don't you miss me?" Inuyasha said, sitting in the tree the snake had just come from. "Don't look at me like that, we both know I'm just a damned illusion. The real me was ripped to pieces by the guy covered in your scent."

_Not this. Anything but this._

Inuyasha reached into his chest and pulled out his heart, then handed the still-beating, bloody organ to Kagome. "This belongs to you." Kagome shrank back and screamed, making Inuyasha's expression floor. "Y-you're rejecting me? Just like everyone else? I thought you were different. I thought..." He dropped the organ on the ground and turned his back on her.

"You're not real." Kagome said.

Inuyasha pulled on the beads on his neck. "I died clinging to these. They're a reminder that you never trusted me, that you never let me be close to you without the ability to subdue me."

"I did trust you!" Kagome said.

"It's too late to tell me now, bitch." Inuyasha snapped. "You would have been proud of me. In the end I finally had the courage to kill the pathetic excuse of a woman Kikyou was. I just didn't have the courage to keep on living."

"What?" Kagome said. "You were killed by Sesshomaru while you were under a spell!"

"That's bullshit. Do you want to know the truth?" Inuyasha said.

_This isn't real, it's just supposed to upset me._

"I killed myself." Inuyasha said. "I hung myself in that cave, with these." He said, tugging at the Beads of Subjugation. "I remember feeling them slip, and knowing I was free."

"You're lying." Kagome said. "Sesshomaru killed you, you just said so."

Inuyasha shrugged. "Later, bitch." He said. "Think about me sometimes."

Suddenly, the illusions dropped, and Sesshomaru and Kagome were standing back-to-back in the meadow. "Rin isn't really here, is she?" Kagome asked.

"No." Sesshomaru said.

The trip home was long and silent, both caught up in the emotions from the illusions. When they got home, they went to their rooms and the house was absolutely silent for several hours. Kagome didn't feel like eating, or sleeping, or thinking, or doing anything. She'd just seen Inuyasha's face for the first time in months and her soul was in a deep state of sorrow.

Sesshomaru was nearly in a state of panic, although he wasn't about to show it. During their time in the meadow, Tessaiga and Tenseiga clattered constantly, which meant something was very, very wrong.

Kagome finally coaxed herself into a restless sleep, but it didn't last long ans she soon found herself staring at the ceiling. She decided to let some fresh air in, and when she went to the window, she saw Sesshomaru sitting in the top of a tall tree. He looked down, hearing her stir in her room, then fixed his gaze back on the night sky. _I need to know._ She thought, as she went outside and walked over to the tree. Sesshomaru didn't bother looking at or talking to her, but didn't object when Kagome started her ascent up the branches. He was a good twenty feet up, and the tree wasn't particularly easy to climb, but she did it anyway, well aware that the only person who could answer her questions was Sesshomaru.

Finally, with a grunt, she pulled herself onto the branch next to Sesshomaru. "I need to know what happened in Midoriko's Cave."

"Was that the subject of your torture?" Sesshomaru asked. "How very cruel."

Kagome nodded. "He said he hung himself."

"I picked up his scent, mixed with death." Sesshomaru said. "I found him in the cave, hanging from the enchanted beads, and I resurrected him with Tenseiga."

"You...saved him?" Kagome asked.

He ignored the comment. "We spoke for awhile; he was angry I brought him back. He tried to kill himself with Tessaiga and I tried to stop him. The fight went on for hours, until he impaled himself on my claws. We both knew it was over." When he finally got the nerve to look at her, her expression was stone cold.

"How did you end up sealed to the wall?" Kagome asked.

"I said something that upset him." Sesshomaru said.

"What was it?" Kagome asked.

"I'm sorry."


	5. That Little Brat!

**Chapter 5**

**Two Weeks Later**

Kagome woke up and stretched. Truth be told, she loved living with Sesshomaru. He wasn't rude, but he wasn't polite either. She was starting to grow accustomed to his silence, and learn more about his behavior.

_He certainly has his quirks. _Kagome thought.

She walked to the kitchen in her pajamas and opened the refrigerator. When she saw Sesshomaru sitting at the kitchen table, she smiled. "Good morning!" He looked at her, then back at the newspaper. She shuffled things around on the shelf for a minute, then shot an accusatory look at Sesshomaru.

"I finished it." He grunted. "It was delicious." He said, referring to a carton of orange juice he discovered earlier.

"You jerk!" Kagome said. "I thought you didn't like human food."

"I'll drink orange juice if it pleases me to do so. Wake up earlier if you have anything to say about it." Sesshomaru said. She scowled at him and started to make eggs. "You smell different today. Are you going into heat?"

Kagome choked and dropped a whole egg into the pan, then proceeded to turn bright red. "Sesshomaru!"

"Hmm?" He asked. "I only asked."

Kagome sighed and dumped the eggs down the sink. "Yes. Now can we never, ever mention that again?"

"Humans." He muttered. "It explains your mood at least."

"What?" Kagome snapped. "Do all demons talk about these things?"

"Of course." Sesshomaru said. "Since anything with demon blood in it would know that smell, it is far less taboo."

She faltered. "Anything."

"...Yes, Inuyasha did know." Sesshomaru answered. "The kitsune and the neko knew, but cared less. Your scent being miko, virgin, and less filthy than most other human scents, tends to carry further." Kagome was blushing so deep she could feel her ears burn. "This is why most male demons are so very infatuated with you."

"Please stop." Kagome said. "I'm going to go die from embarrassment. I'll be in my room if you need me."

Sesshomaru shrugged and went back to his newspaper, having given up on figuring out the human's strange behavior. He liked having her around, even if he'd rather die than admit it. She was doing well in her training, although he felt she was still afraid of her own power, but not afraid of the things they faced that should have scared her. Did she feel safe because he was there? Unacceptable. He would not be so unwise as to render her incapable of survival if he were not there. Sesshomaru thought up a task for her to complete on her own, and wrote it down on a piece of paper. He left it on the table and went out on his own, hot on the trail of a strange human man named Kiyoshi.

Kiyoshi was first spotted by Sesshomaru during a ring fight a few nights before. He seemed to be uninterested in the fighting or the loose women that seemed to hang around in high numbers. He simply sat through it, until someone passed him and slipped him a note so discreetly that Sesshomaru only knew it happened because he heard the sound of fingers brushing against paper. His scent was just slightly off, and Sesshomaru couldn't quite finger what was wrong with him.

Sesshomaru picked up Kiyoshi's scent from the house he assumed the man lived in, and followed it to a warehouse where he found Kiyoshi sitting on a crate, waiting. The two swords on his back began to shake, and Sesshomaru used his power to conceal his scent and aura. "Stop." He commanded the swords, who ceased making noise.

Another man entered the warehouse and walked toward Kiyoshi. "Kiyoshi, we have a final task for you to handle."

"What, Master?" Kiyoshi asked.

"Give this back to the girl and send her to the other side." He said. "Since she doesn't remember her first misadventure, just tell her that I am the jewel's guardian. Understood?"

Elsewhere, Kagome was climbing through a sticky passage in the filthy sewers, looking for the a demonic rat named Shiro. The tunnel was barely tall enough for Kagome to sit on her knees, and it was dirty and slimy. She sighed and kept going. According to Sesshomaru, rats made good allies, since they were unusually talented at hiding their presence and had very sharp hearing. The wedge of cheese in her pocket was starting to smell as it warmed up in the dank sewer, which just made her want to puke.

"Looking for me?" Shiro asked, scampering toward Kagome, who suppressed the urge to scream and run away from the rodent.

Kagome offered the rat the cheese, and he took it happily. "Yeah. Sesshomaru wants to know what you know about the Four Lords?"

Shiro stopped munching the cheese. "I've heard their leader went out earlier to meet with some liaison. I got a good look at him, he was a fine looking demon."

"I thought he was a dragon?" Kagome asked.

"Daiyoukai for sure." The rat said. "Bi-form at least. His true form is a huge purple dragon, there's a cavern far beneath the city where he sleeps. I've never been down that far, everything got hotter and hotter when I got close, it was like an inferno. I've heard them call him So'unga."

The rat suddenly stiffened. "They smell us. This way!" Kagome crawled as fast as she could, following the rat through tunnels that she would never be able to find her way out of on her own. "Drake is right on us, Kagome, crawl faster!"

"Hey, this place is a little too small for me!" She shouted at the rat. "I can't believe that pervert is chasing us!" Without noticing, she crawled out of the tunnel and fell into a pool of raw sewage. She sat up, choking and spitting the foul water out of her mouth.

_This may be the most disgusting, gross event of my entire life._ Kagome thought. _I'm going to kill Sesshomaru. No wonder he wanted me to come alone; not even once have I seen him do anything that required him to get especially dirty. It was like that demon we slew last week, he made sure I made the final blow, knowing well that it's insides were going to get all over me._ "Sesshomaru..." She hissed.

"Shh!" Shiro said. "You can get out here." He said.

Kagome picked up the rat. "Drake will kill you." She said.

"Drake won't ever find me. By the way, the Orochi is going to be alone tonight, and he's recently been weakened by something, but I don't know what." Shiro said, running up a wall and into a crack in the sewer wall. Kagome climbed up the sewer wall and peeked out of the storm drain, then pulled herself out of it.

_So'unga. I remember the sword that was called that, and I thought Sesshomaru and Inuyasha destroyed it. Totosai said it was possessed by an ancient demon, so maybe this dragon is his actual form? The Dragon Twister was in the form of a purple dragon, which is a lot like Shiro described. I do know I saw the sword shatter when..._

Kagome froze. _If So'unga is out, it might sense Sesshomaru and God knows what kind of fight that would be. _ "Sesshomaru." She retrieved her cell phone from her pocket and called his number, but he didn't answer. He felt the tiny vibration in his pocket and ignored it, moving in closer.

The demon and Kiyoshi continued to speak, and from what Sesshomaru could deduce from the conversation, he was witnessing some deal that was intended to send the Sacred Jewel back in time again with Kagome. He wasn't sure what Kiyoshi had to do with Kagome, or who exactly this 'Master' was, but the deal smelled foul.

"The jewel better stay intact this time." The man growled to Kiyoshi. "Hoshiko and I were not happy about that stupid girl's mistake. If she could be replaced, she would have been killed."

"Understood." Kiyoshi said.

"Take care of it tonight." The other man barked.

Sesshomaru's sense of smell recognized this 'Master's' scent, but from where? As the man walked away, he suddenly froze. "The fang...no, both of them." He said. "Sesshomaru, show yourself!" Kiyoshi ran away when Sesshomaru leapt out from behind a stack of boxes. "You hold both of fangs now. Interesting."

"So'unga." Sesshomaru said.

The demon nodded. "Very good. How did you know?"

"I saw my father seal you in that sword." Sesshomaru said. "Your stink is just as putrid and reptilian as it was then."

So'unga sneered. "Ah, the bitter sentiments of a jealous pup. I must commend your work on freeing me from that wretched piece of metal, it was a little uncomfortable."

Sesshomaru drew Tessaiga. "Silence." He said. "I will not play your games." He said, knowing that this confrontation was a diversion to prevent him from finding Kagome.

So'unga flashed his claws and lunged at Sesshomaru, cutting into his face. "You will." He hissed.

Sesshomaru jumped back and raised Tessaiga. "Kongosoha!" He said, watching the shards of diamond pierce everything, including So'unga, who stumbled backward.

"...Diamonds." So'unga said. "I don't remember Tessaiga being able to do that." He said, raising an arm. "DRAGON TWISTER!" The energy swirled and tossed everything in the warehouse around, collapsed the ceiling, but did nothing to Sesshomaru, who dodged it.

Sesshomaru arched a brow. "My brother and Tessaiga practically grew up together. It picked up as many oddball skills as he did." Sesshomaru said as the sword covered itself in dragon scales.

Back at home, Kagome showered and tried to call Sesshomaru again and got no answer. The doorbell rang, and since they'd had no visitors, she found this more than a little odd, but threw open the door when she recognized the man.

"Dad!" Kagome shrieked, jumping into Kiyoshi's arms. "How did you know I was here?"

Kiyoshi smiled and hugged her back. "The police saw you."

Kagome sighed and let Kiyoshi in. "Look, I ran away for a reason. I don't want to go back home."

"Of course you don't." Kiyoshi said. "You're an adult, I respect your decision greatly." He looked around the large house. "This is a nice place, who are you living with?"

"Just a friend." Kagome said.

"A boy?" Kiyoshi asked.

Kagome laughed. "Not like that, Dad. He's just a roommate."

Kiyoshi smiled. "Sure, sure. You know, you were conceived when your mother and I were 'just roomates.' I know how these things work."

Kagome blushed. "Dad!"

Kiyoshi laughed and put his hand on her shoulder. "Kagome, I think you need to visit your mom with me, she's been worried sick."

Guilt weighed on Kagome heavily, knowing her mother didn't really understand exactly why she left. She sighed and nodded. "I'll go, but I don't want any trouble. I'm stuck on my decision."

"Agreed." Kiyoshi said as they left. Kiyoshi drove them to the shrine, chatting as if he truly cared about her well-being and happiness. Kagome, totally unaware of the trap that had been set for her, was thrilled he had been worried about her and her mother. It wasn't common for him, that was certain. When they arrived at the shrine, they slowly journeyed up the steps, sharing stories from Kagome's childhood and the shrine.

Back at what used to be the warehouse, So'unga watched in horror as his Dragon Twister swirled around the blade of Tessaiga, absorbed by the dragon scales on the sword. Sesshomaru smiled at the demon targeting his youki carefully as he raised his sword. "Kongo-Bakuryuha!" He yelled, throwing back the energy from the Dragon Twister, along with the devastation from the Kongo-Bakuryuha.

So'unga tried to dodge the attack, but in true form, the Dragon Twister found him and cycloned around his body, shredding him with sheer force and long diamond spears. The attack didn't kill him, and So'unga groaned and hauled himself to his feet. "You wretched son of a bitch." He hissed.

"I don't have time for you." Sesshomaru said, knowing So'unga was in no shape to chase him and that he wasn't totally sure how to kill him in the first place. His father defeated him in the purest sense, but killing him had been a challenge, he just didn't know why. It didn't matter, he had to stop Kiyoshi. He picked up Kagome's scent and soon found himself at the shrine, watching Kagome and Kiyoshi walking and talking.

He sat in a tree, spying on them through the open door of the well house, well aware of everything being said.

"Dad, I really missed you." Kagome said. Sesshomaru felt pure disgust rise in him. "We really should spend more time together, you just always seem so busy."

Kiyoshi took her hand and Kagome felt something soft in it, he took his own hand back and closed her around it and shouted one thing as he gave Kagome a shove. "Find the Keeper of the Jewel, So'unga!"

Sesshomaru leapt from the tree and pushed his body as fast as it would go.

Kagome screamed as she fell into the well, but felt a hand grab hers, following her into the abyss. She saw the markings on the hand and recognized it as being Sesshomaru, who had reached her at the last possible moment. When they emerged on the other side, Kagome yelped when she tried to move.

They weren't in a well at all, but a large hole in the ground which happened to be lined in glass and sharp rocks. "Easy, Little Miko." Sesshomaru said, standing up. He picked up Kagome and she got on his back. He jumped out of the hole onto a black sheet of glass that covered the ground, interrupted only by cracks where people had walked across it.

"I can't breathe very well, Sesshomaru." Kagome said, choking at the smoke that surrounded them.

"This place smells of hell." Sesshomaru said, running to the edge of a charred forest. "I know when this is. This is about five hundred years before the feudal era. This place is where So'unga broke through the wall between hell and earth and escaped onto the surface."

Kagome looked around at the scene. Thick smoke, glass, everything was burned or destroyed. "This must be not long after that."

"He was not free long, maybe a week or so." Sesshomaru said. "And since we know he wishes to use the jewel, this must be a point between his escape from hell and being bound to the sword."

Kagome nodded. "What should we do? Go home?"

Sesshomaru shook his head. "We are going to prevent the Sacred Jewel from being created." He stated. His body suddenly stiffened and he sniffed the air. "Fuck." He whispered. "Father's scent."

"Isn't he a good guy?" Kagome asked.

"You don't understand." Sesshomaru said. "Where is there water?"

"O-over there." Kagome replied, pointing. "I used to bathe over there in Inuyasha's time."

Sesshomaru ran and threw Kagome into the water. "Get my scent off you and hide somewhere."

"What's going on?" Kagome asked. "I thought he protected mortals!"

Sesshomaru knelt by the water's edge. "I am neither mortal nor a beautiful female in heat."

Kagome nodded nervously. _I've heard legends about how dangerous he was. I've even seen how huge his true form was, and Sesshomaru was tiny compared to him. I hope he doesn't hurt Sesshomaru._ She dunked her head under the water and climbed out. _Where should I go?_

_Wait a second!_

_Did he say "beautiful female?" He must really think he's in trouble. Inuyasha only said nice things when one or both of us was facing death._

Kagome wandered through the wilderness which would someday be called Inuyasha's Forest and eventually Tokyo. If Sesshomaru was right, the time they were in was 500 years before the feudal era, which was 500 years before her own time. She felt as if something was drawing her, leading her as she went.

Rain started to pour just as she got close to a cave, and she made a mad dash for the cave entrance. She remembered it as being the cave where Naraku would be born someday. "Oops! Sorry!" She said when she saw a couple of people sitting in the cave. "I couldn't tell anyone was in here, the rain was coming down so bad."

"Stay." A woman said, "Warm up by the fire. The child is recovering, he isn't contagious." She added, pointing to a small figure sleeping on the floor. When she looked back up at Kagome, her eyes were filled with confusion.

"Uhh..." Kagome said nervously. "My name is Kagome."

"Midoriko." She replied.

"Huh, I found you already?" Kagome blurted out. "Wait, I didn't mean I was looking for you!"

Midoriko blinked a few times. "Well, here I am. Is there something you needed?"

_I'm worried about Sesshomaru._ Kagome thought. "Could you help my friend, please? I think he may be in trouble." She looked down. _I hope this doesn't backfire on us! _"We were being pursued by a huge dog demon!"

"The General?" Midoriko asked. She stood up and picked up her sword. "Stay here with the child."

Midoriko left the cave, then jumped on a horse and sped away.

A few miles away, Sesshomaru sat in a tree, sniffing the air. As far as he could tell, he was the only living thing, animal, human, or demon, in the area. After briefly wondering why his father hadn't pursued him further, he concealed his scent and headed back to the scent of his companion.

Back at the cave, Kagome sighed and crawled over to the child, then put her hand on his forehead to check if he had a fever. When she rolled him over, she was shocked. _That crescent moon, these markings...this is Sesshomaru._

"Get away, foul human wench." The child hissed. "Do not touch me."

_Yep. That's Sesshomaru alright._

"Hush right this instant. I was only checking to see if you had a fever!" Kagome said.

"This Sesshomaru does not get fever." he stubbornly said.

Kagome scowled. "Liar." _If I took him outside, and gave him the spanking he's had coming for about 1000 years, would I feel guilty afterward?_ She thought. "I myself have seen an Inu Daiyoukai run a fever from Orochi poison." She said. "So there!"

"Silence." The child said. He didn't look more than eight or nine, but he had all the attitude his adult self did.

Kagome sighed. "Hey, your aura is a little too pure for a demon's." She remarked.

"Why do you think I am ill, you stupid bitch?" The child shot back.

"Why you little brat!" Kagome said, lunging at the younger Sesshomaru just before bursting into laughter. "Hahahaha, you got purified and can't handle it because you're a snot-nosed brat baby!" She said. _Why is this so much fun? Talk about a guilty pleasure!_

_Here I am, 1000 years before my own time, teasing the child that will someday grow up to poison, injure, and eventually protect me. Ah, this is the life! _Kagome giggled. "Hey Sesshomaru-chan, you're a big baby!"

"Enjoying yourself, Little Miko?"

Kagome turned to see a figure standing in the door of the cave. When he walked in, she was shocked beyond all words. His face and body were so much like Sesshomaru's, although they definitely seemed less feminine and more warrior-like. There was no doubt about who she was looking at. This was Sesshomaru and Inuyasha's father. "Don't be scared, I'd never hurt anything so tiny and beautiful." He said, flashing his fangs in a devious smile. "...Much."

"Wait, I think you don't understand!" Kagome said. "You don't want to kill me!"

The demon sighed. "You look delicious."

"No!" Kagome screamed. "Are you crazy? Humans taste terrible!"

"A different kind of tasting." He replied, watching Kagome's expression melt from fear to total embarrassment. The demon's interest shifted to Sesshomaru. "You are an ally of the Midoriko?"

"I just wanted to get out of the rain, but that's suddenly not seeming so bad right now!" Kagome replied.

"Father...kill her." Sesshomaru whimpered from where he rested.

Kagome felt her temper flare. "Hey, you shut up right now! I haven't wronged you and all you have to say is insult my humanity. I've just about had enough of you!"

The older demon chuckled. "You're a fiery one. You may leave if you wish." He said, standing out of the way. Kagome gave him a slight appreciative smile and crawled toward the mouth of the cave, only to find herself shover onto her back. Sesshomaru's father buried his nose in between her breasts and his eyes flared red. "You missed a spot." He said. "The scent of your peculiar companion lingers on you."

Kagome was terrified. "What do you want from me?!"

She felt him yank her hair and drag her out of the cave. "I wish to know who that demon was." He said. "He was using some sort of trickery to make me think he was my own son!"

"About that..." Kagome said, as he threw her down into the mud. "I...I..." _What should I do? This guy looks like he's going to kill me if I don't start talking. Hey! What are you doing!_ Kagome thought as he knelt down in the mud and sniffed her.

"You have a most marvelous scent for a human." He growled. "Your name."

"Kagome." She squeaked. He smiled and sniffed a trail from her neck down to her belly button as Kagome lay shaking under him.

The man started to purr and then looked up at her affectionately. "You can call me Touga, beautiful."

_What do I do?! This is crazy, I know this guy could kill me before I even realize he's upset. But, this is gross. _"Get off me, you creepy pervert!" She yelled.

Touga sat on his knees and stared at her body in a way that made her feel very nervous. "Let me guess. You're a cat person?"

"...Among other things." Kagome replied.

Touga stared and sniffed the air, touching the fabric of her pants with a confused expression. He looked at her hair, her eyes, the makeup on her face, and her shoes. "You're a time jumper." He stated, very matter-of-factly.

Kagome winced. "How did you know?"

"That boy, your clothes, and that aura in your pocket." He said, his eyes drifting to the pocket where the Sacred Jewel rested. "I haven't seen another jumper in many, many years. Why did you come here? And who is that boy?"

"Ehhh..." She hesitated, then decided to say as little as possible. "We are going to fix something. And that boy was your son, from ten centuries from now."

"Huh." Touga said. "My son hates mortals. It is interesting to see him in the company of one. When did his opinion on them change?"

"Never." Kagome said. "You aren't going to hurt us, are you?"

He looked down at her with gentle eyes. "Of course not. That is, if you explain why you're here." His gaze shifted and he suddenly leapt to his feet and drew Tessaiga.

"Take the child and get away from here!" Touga commanded.

Kagome ran back into the cave and grabbed the young Sesshomaru by the hand, hauling him to his feet and then out of the cave. "We're going. Your father said so."

"Unhand me, mortal!" Sesshomaru hissed.

"Shut your mouth, you stupid brat!" Kagome snapped, dragging Sesshomaru out by the arm. "He thinks we're in danger!"

The young demon scowled at Kagome. "Humans have such weak senses."

_I hate him._ Kagome thought. _This kid is such an ass._

Off in the distance, Kagome heard a shout. "Wind Scar!" She turned around and the wind scar was like nothing she had ever seen from Inuyasha. The impact of his father's Wind Scar seemed to be exponentially more powerful.

"Father..." Sesshomaru whispered, reaching out into the distance. Kagome felt his head again, and he was burning up. _The purification process Midoriko uses on demons must be extremely hard on their bodies._ Kagome thought. "We need to go farther away." He said weakly. "It's coming this way."

"Hm?" Kagome said, hoping he'd repeat what he had just muttered. She felt the demonic aura approaching and made Sesshomaru get up again and run. "C'mon, what are you? A weakling?" She taunted, angering him enough to help him keep running. She looked behind her to see a huge serpent slithering through the meadow behind them, spitting acid in their direction.

_I wasn't expecting this._ Kagome thought. _I thought I was going to have a nice talk with my mother, but no! My own father catapults me an entire millennium back in time and practically feeds me to the wolves...errr...dogs. _

The snake tunneled underground and knocked Kagome over. "Get out of my way." Sesshomaru hissed.

"Are you nuts?" Kagome said. "We're running."

"Hmph." Sesshomaru replied, as a bright whip suddenly appeared at the ends of each index finger. "Whips of Light!" He said as the snake emerged from the earth. The whips flashed violently as they were expertly manipulated by the young demon. The snake fell to the ground in multiple chunks. "Weakling?"

"Nice work, brat!" Kagome cheered. "Now let's get the hell out of here!"

Just as they started back to the cave, Touga leapt out from the trees. "Kagome..." He said, his voice gruff and spicy and...wanting.

Kagome pursed her lips and turned to the demon lord. "Hi."

"Come with me to my camp," He purred in her ear. "It's not safe out here, especially for a pretty little thing like you."

Kagome heard Sesshomaru sigh in disgust and turned to see his unmistakably hateful glare. The adult version of himself would use that glare for exactly three things – his brother Inuyasha, strange humans touching him, and any suggestion that meat should be cooked prior to consumption. Unsure about staying in the wilderness alone, she followed them.

"C'mon Sesshomaru-chan, you're falling behind!" Kagome said.

Touga turned and sighed, then picked the boy up in his arms and carried him. "You seem tolerant of the fact we are demons. Not common for a human of this time."

"Or any time!" Kagome said. "Don't worry, I know better!"

"Good girl." He cooed, his eyes filled with lust.

"You're making me nervous!" Kagome stuttered. More than ready to change the subject, she felt Sesshomaru's forehead. "Did Midoriko purify his soul?"

"Yes." Touga replied. "She was a little too ambitious, I think she went a little too far. This isn't what I had in mind when I asked her to do this."

_Wait, he wanted this? How could a demon father want his son to go through such a horrible thing!_

"I know what you're thinking. It is better this way. Sesshomaru would not want to run around with no mind, especially with the war coming between those purified and those unpurified." Touga said.

As they came over a hill, Kagome saw their camp, which was hundreds of Inuyoukai, who were scattered around camp, mostly resting. The trees were filled with them. Here and there, there were lesser dog demons, who seemed no more than small canines. Then, there were those in human form. Finally, there were a few demons taking on the form of huge dogs, like Sesshomaru. Touga lead her to a large tent in the middle of the others and informed her that she'd sleep there with he and Sesshomaru.

However, it didn't seem like sleepy time was going to by anytime soon. Touga sat down and gestured for her to sit on his lap. "Come here, you gorgeous little thing you..." He said with a sly smile.

"Ehhh..." Kagome said.

"Don't be shy, doll, you're going to burn your face with all the blushing you've been doing!" Another one said, pushing her into his lap, with made several of the other demons erupt in laughter. Kagome shot him an angry glare and got off the general's lap. She sat next to him, contemplating the contrast between Sesshomaru and his father, Touga, who was downing alcohol at an astonishing rate.

_Sesshomaru is nothing like him! He's more like Inuyasha, except without the lust part. Inuyasha would die before calling me his 'doll' or ordering me to get on his lap._ Kagome thought, giggling. _Let's see...Sesshomaru is cold and callus, rarely talks, and hates any form of physical contact. His father is boisterous, lusty, lively, and has his hands all over the place, whether that means on me or en route to someone else's face in his exceedingly drunken state._

In the corner, Sesshomaru was sitting on a fur, staring at the whole fiasco. Kagome crawled over to him, dodging another demon who was taking part in their drunken brawl. "Your dad is...not what I expected." Kagome said, her thoughts of the regal dog demon long gone at this point. "You're not anything like him."

"Hmph." Sesshomaru said. "What would you know?"

"A lot more than you would expect." Kagome said. "You should try to have fun sometimes, you know."

Sesshomaru stared at her for a moment. "My apologies, I'm simply not interested in getting drunk and rutting with the first bitch in heat that comes along, human or demon."

Kagome blushed. "You can smell that?"

"It's a very sharp, distracting smell." Sesshomaru said. "Please get away from me."

She scooted away from him. "You're a real jerk, you know. How old are you, eight? Nine?"

"Eleven." He said.

"Why are you so mean?" Kagome asked.

Sesshomaru stared at her and grunted, then leaned back on his hands. _Wow, he's even worse at this age than he is as an adult._ Kagome looked around the room, and left the tent, badly needing an escape from the drunken Inuyoukai. She walked to the edge of camp and saw a flash of black in the trees. She followed it and looked up. "You found me."

"I found you hours ago." Sesshomaru said.

"Are you okay?" Kagome asked, noticing blood all over his shirt. He shrugged. "I ran into your childhood self. You're a real jackass." She said, climbing up the tree.

"Hmph." Sesshomaru said. "I assume you have seen Father at his best."

Kagome groaned. "He's such a pervert. He was practically undressing me with his eyes earlier."

"Indeed." Sesshomaru said. "Just be glad it was his eyes, and not his tail."

Kagome shivered. "He knew I wasn't from this time, and called me a 'time-jumper,' do you know what that's about?"

"No clue." Sesshomaru said. "If he knows anyway, we should ask."

"Sounds good, first thing tomorrow!" Kagome said.

Sesshomaru grabbed her and jumped to the ground. "No, he is a lot more forthcoming while drunk. Go get him."

"How?" Kagome asked.

"Tell him you like it outside." Sesshomaru said, his voice flat and without any hint of emotion whatsoever.

"SESSHOMARU!"

"The truth might work too." Sesshomaru added, rubbing his ears.

**Please Read and Review!**

Thanks to all my reviewers so far!

Lillian88, PokeTenishi, Dark Moon Riseing, kagome.inuyoukai, moonflames, ladykellet, Ookami Kiba, Shadow-Ninja-Fay, animegirl2005, amberwolves, Sesshie, finale jackson, robinsena369, Fallen Ice Princess, and serasvictory666 – You guys rock!

Author's Notes: Regarding whether Kouga will be bad or good – I think he'll just be Kouga, who is really just committed to Kagome and his own goals and doesn't seem to care about issues of wrong and right. At least, that's always what I've gotten from him. He's one of my favorite characters from the manga.

**Next Chapter: Fun in Ancient Japan!**


	6. Sesshomaru's Heart

**Chapter 6**

Kagome walked a few feet in front of the dead-drunk Inu No Taisho, wondering how it was that he managed to cast such a shadow over his sons. In terms of respect, she regarded both Inuyasha and Sesshomaru much higher than the crazed drunkard currently walking behind her. At the same time, she couldn't help but notice the simple presence he commanded. The entire room seemed to be lit ablaze by his passion to do whatever it was that he felt like doing.

Sesshomaru watched them approach, and felt annoyance rise in his gut. After briefly considering where it may have come from, his annoyance transformed into anger when he saw his father's gaze on Kagome. In his eyes, Kagome was a member of his pack and his own father was disrespecting him by trying to gain the attention of a pack female without permission. "Hmph."

Another part of him was relieved and happy on a level he would never show anyone. There was Father, who he had missed horribly for many years. When the patriarch passed, it left a noticeable void in Sesshomaru's life, since he was no longer affected by the lively man's passions. Why had he never indulged in them himself? He thought, watching Kagome from a distance. It was that passion that lead to his miserable death.

He was very different from his father, and he wasn't about to apologize for it. Touga's drive in life had been to crush foes with his overbearing strength, while Sesshomaru had always been driven by control. Just the precise amount of strength with absolute control could do far more than ten times the strength with no control.

A low growl rumbled in his throat and he cursed his canine instincts. As powerful and as amazing as his own control was, he found himself fighting his own nature when it came to Kagome. In her current state of heat, something jealous and possessive was attempting to make itself known. He might let it surface if Kagome was a demoness, but as it stood she was...his growl deepened with disgust for the feeling in his gut.

"Is someone going to say something or what?" Touga said.

Kagome helped him steady himself as he sat down and leaned on the tree Sesshomaru was perched in. "Earlier, you knew I was from another time and said you'd seen others. Who else could travel through time?"

Touga scratched his chin. "There were monks, they didn't seem to do much of anything." He said. "They would wear all-white and wander the land until they died, never interfering with our time. I haven't seen one in years, Midoriko broke the gateway they used to travel here when she was a kid."

Kagome became quiet for a moment, then lit up. "I know! Somehow, maybe breaking this portal gave Midoriko the ability to travel through time, and that got passed to the jewel!"

Sesshomaru grunted, as if disinterested, staring down at his father with seething hatred. Touga seemed equally disinterested, having found something of more interest on Kagome's chest. Kagome crossed her arms, breaking the great general's focus, allowing Sesshomaru to think about the real problem. She noticed Sesshomaru being miffed by his father's gaze and lost her own focus.

_Was he...jealous? Really, really jealous? Maybe he was just upset at his father for all his father's habits and lack of self-control. Although, it does seem like as soon as the immediate condition of my breasts was taken out of the picture, they were both able to pay attention._ Kagome sighed. _He is cute, but he's still Sesshomaru. And, as I know good and well, Sesshomaru is a jackass._

"Kagome." Sesshomaru said, accustomed to the girl simply drifting off into her own word. He was mildly curious about whatever she was thinking about, suspecting he'd been caught in his jealous stare. "You may be correct."

_Even if he is jealous of his father, that doesn't mean anything. How many times did he save Rin and immediately cover up his actions with excuses? "I'm just going to slay that demon." "I'm just doing it to stop Naraku." "I'm doing that cause no one messes with this Sesshomaru!" That's such immature behavior for someone his age!_

"Kagome?" Touga asked.

_That's it. It's decided! Even if he is jealous, it doesn't matter, because he'd never admit he's jealous over a puny mortal. So, I'm going to stop thinking about it!_

Sesshomaru's annoyed expression amused his father greatly, which just pissed off Sesshomaru more, watching his father delight in his discomfort over this mortal girl who seemed to be so deep in her own thoughts she couldn't hear either of them.

"KYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!" Kagome screamed, suddenly.

"Ow!" Touga said, rubbing his face.

Sesshomaru swung down, set to avenge Kagome's buttocks against the offending, pinching fingers that had just brought her back to earth. "She hits hard for a girl!" Touga said.

"Don't do that again." Sesshomaru warned, in his flat, steady voice.

Touga decided to push his son a little more. "Why not?"

Sesshomaru growled. "Kagome, Leave."

"Why?" Kagome asked.

"Because this is a matter between my father and I. This does not concern you." Sesshomaru barked as Kagome walked deeper into the forest. _What a weird conversation. If they weren't dog demons, I bet I could spy on them. I wonder what they're talking about..._

"Father, I care not about your behavior or your reckless habits." Sesshomaru said. "You will leave Kagome out of this mess you call a life. Am I clear?"

Touga grinned. "Still got that stick up your ass, Son?"

Sesshomaru's eyes narrowed, but he said nothing.

"She's just a girl." Touga said. "A human."

Sesshomaru grinned. "Remember that very advice, Father. It applies more to your own life than mine."

Touga circled Sesshomaru. "Do you love her? If you do, you should say so and I'll leave her to you."

Sesshomaru jumped back up into the tree, not wanting to look his father in the eyes. "Father, I tire of your endless games and tests. My feelings for the girl are none of your concern."

"I'm your father, they are always my concern." Touga said.

"No." Sesshomaru said. "I have other matters to tend to, I shall leave Kagome in your care."

"You trust me?" Touga asked. He sighed. "Ah, I get it, it's her that you trust. She is somewhat of a tight-lipped little thing. Maybe she's saving herself for someone." He hinted.

Sesshomaru walked away without a word, stopping only to tell Kagome to go back to camp with his father. _What?! He's leaving me with that horny animal? Traitor! I'll get him for this! _She thought as she followed Touga back. The walk home would not be silent though, as the patriarch's curiosity was more than drawn by his son's behavior.

"Where did you meet my son?" Touga asked.

"Around here, in the feudal era." Kagome said.

Touga nodded. "Was it a romantic meeting?"

"We were in a tomb." Kagome said. "He tried to kill me by drenching me in poison." She said, neglecting to say that it was HIS tomb that she was in at the time.

Touga furrowed his brows. "Interesting." He slowed down and stepped in front of her. "Are you and he close as lovers?"

"NO!" Kagome shouted, before she was even sure what he asked. "He hates humans."

"That's not what he told me." Touga said.

_Curiosity!_ Kagome's interest suddenly spiked. "Really?"

Touga stared at her, trying to figure out what it was about her that Sesshomaru seemed so taken by. She was lovely, but he knew the elder version of his son could probably find something equally beautiful in the world of demons if he so chose. Was she powerful? His powers said she was a miko, but quite a lot weaker than Midoriko. "He cares for you. Considering his disposition, you should take the first step."

Kagome blushed. "With all due respect, I don't feel comfortable talking about this with you." She said. "Sesshomaru takes good care of me, and I feel like I'm betraying him by talking like this."

Far above, Sesshomaru listened carefully to the exchange and took off on his own. "Respect..." He murmured to himself. Yes, that is what it was. The two held each other to very high standards, and in exchange for these expectations, there was unconditional trust between them, although they were not equal. Kagome, in his eyes, had learned to control only that which she wished to control in her own soul, and because of this, she was capable of emancipating herself from negative feelings like doubt, shame, fear, hate, and envy. That fact alone commanded respect from others, including him.

Touga lead her to a tent with a couple of other women and kissed her on the cheek. "If you tire of sleeping alone, you know where to find my bed." He said with a wink and a flirtatious smirk

Kagome laid down on a fur and soon found herself deep in thought. _Why am I so hung up on this? Sesshomaru is a friend, a teacher, and someone I trust with all of my heart. My heart though...I always thought it would someday belong to Inuyasha. Inuyasha is gone though, and some part of me wishes to be with him, even if it means death – but that was Kikyou's road, and I will not follow. I wanted Inuyasha to live!_

_Do I not also deserve to live? And be happy? If I give up and seal my heart away, I'll be just like the others. I'll just be another person whose very life was ruined by contact with the Jewel. I can't do that. I won't! That night with Houjou...I didn't understand it then, but I think I do now. I unsealed him, I made him my friend, and it's that which brought him to stop me. He has accepted me as a friend, as a priestess, and an ally. _

_But that doesn't mean I love him._

_Sesshomaru is close to my heart, but his has always been hidden to me. If he ever chooses to reveal that (and make himself vulnerable in the process), things might change. Whether or not I will ever love him in the way I loved Inuyasha remains to be seen. But my heart tells me that...I want to love him. I will promise myself this though:_

_When the time comes, if I find love for him in my heart, I'll tell him. Inuyasha and I wasted the time we could have had engaged in petty arguments and shy, elusive behavior. The time we spent blushing and hiding from each other could have been spent in much better ways._

She finally drifted off to sleep, with a renewed sense of clarity in her heart.

Miles away, Sesshomaru was engaged in a terrible battle. He had made it clear to Kagome that she sure as hell better not tamper too much with events as the things occurring during this short period had a major impact on history. There was something he couldn't do though, and that was let history repeat itself. In a few years, he knew that the beasts he was currently fighting would murder his own sister. He also knew that just preventing it from happening would carry a terrible price since it was the brutal murder of the girl that drove he and his father to destroy the Great Orochi. In his mind, he tried to find a way that he could save her without having a huge affect on history. Since he couldn't stay in that time period and wait for it to happen, his solution had to come immediately.

Sesshomaru decided he would kill all of the Orochi Daiyoukai himself, thus eliminating them from the planet and saving his sister's life. These creatures were monsters, and as he tore through their nest, Sesshomaru wondered how one somehow survived and managed to find its way to the Tokyo Underground so far in the future.

"Dragon Strike." He said, sending two of the beasts to their deaths. He knew Kagome would tend to the Sacred Jewel without fail. How many times had he trusted someone so completely? And why did he trust her?

"Kongosoha!" He said, sending diamond spikes through several of the creatures in the nest. A familiar self-loathing rose inside of him, and he spared none of the Orochi as he turned it on them. He hated humans; this was unquestionable. They were weak. They were petty. They were stupid. A slight laugh escaped from his body as he associated the words weak, petty, and stupid with Kagome, who was the exact opposite.

"She is a mortal!" He yelled, slashing at one of the Orochi, who barely noticed his words through the terror. He drove his sword through it's heart and sneered. "This Sesshomaru will never have compassion for a mortal!"

Suddenly, as the Orochi slid off the end of Tessaiga, he found himself alone in the cave, surrounded by blood and bodies. He'd killed everything around him in a nearly mindless rampage about his own feelings. When he was younger, he had done this to avenge his sister's death, his heart tormented by the way her body and soul were tormented. She had been his friend, his sister, and when she died, he was left with a host of emotions he felt rarely in his entire life. When he had killed them then, it had been like this – driven by passion.

He grimaced and clenched the sword. "I will not feel compassion for a mortal. NEVER." He said, cutting a permanent impression into the side of the mountain with the Wind Scar.

Sesshomaru's own heart betrayed him this time.

There was a moment in his life he could never forget, no matter how hard he tried. His own father had designed this test to improve Tenseiga, and at the start of the test, the meidou opened and a Hellhound emerged, taking Rin and Kohaku to hell.

Without so much as thinking, he leapt into hell, hoping to get Rin back. A few minutes later, he held Rin in his arms, dead. He threw his sword aside; it seemed worthless compared to Rin. And then, one single thought emerged from his hurt soul.

He stared out at the moon and repeated what he'd thought then.

"If there is something I could exchange for Rin's life...I'd give anything." He said, sadly. And then, he finished the thought that betrayed everything he'd ever believed about humans. "Even my own life."

Sesshomaru put his hand over his heart, angry at the cursed organ for causing him so much turmoil. He knew he would die if it would save Kagome's life. Not because her life was worth more, but because he valued it more than his own. "Father..." He whispered, realizing this must have been the very truth that caused his death. His Father gave his life to save Izayoi and Inuyasha. If Kagome was in the same place...

Sesshomaru leapt onto an adjacent mountain. The Orochi were going to have a bad night while he sorted his messy soul out. For a moment, he entertained the idea of he and Kagome being in the situation his father and Izayoi had been in. If she was pregnant with his child – the thought didn't quite complete itself as he felt butterflies in his stomach at the idea. He knew he'd never get that vision out of his head, no matter how hard he tried. He growled in frustration, then turned as he picked up the scent of his prey.

He sat poised above a nest, watching the Orochi sleep beneath him. Why was he doing this? He cared for his sister, Sakira, that's why. Her death bothered him, and drove him to a passionate anger he had only rarely known in his life. But why did it bother him?

Sesshomaru launched himself into the nest, adopting his brother's crazed method of fighting for his soul-searching massacre.

He loved her.  
He loved Rin.  
He loves Kagome.

"I...love her?" Sesshomaru sputtered.

"_All this fuss over one human girl...he's become like his father in the strangest ways."_ Sesshomaru's mother's words echoed through his head.

Should he feel ashamed?

Tenseiga started to rattle, and he wondered why it usually chose to do so when he was struggling with his own feelings. Was it connected to his heart? It didn't matter. He drew Tenseiga and watched as it lit up in a brilliant shade of blue. "Tenseiga?" He said, swinging the bright blade in front of him. His eyes widened in shock as the eruption from the sword blasted the Orochi in a wide arc, obliterating each one it touched.

The image of Kagome having his child flashed across his mind and he stood there, grinding his teeth together. It moved him on many levels, but it was the one thing he promised himself he would never do. His mind drifted back to Inuyasha, the half-brother he rejected all of his life. He would admit to himself the subject filled him with regret. Inuyasha had done more than enough to deserve respect; surviving his own childhood was enough of an accomplishment. Sesshomaru was only finally able to accept and apologize to Inuyasha during the final moments of his pitiful life. He saw the hate in his little brother's eyes when he finally said what should have been said many years before.

Was there really anything wrong with Inuyasha? He'd proven to be one of the most formidable foes Sesshomaru had ever battled. In the end, Sesshomaru knew he regretted holding onto his grudge against Inuyasha. Was this going to be the same thing? Would he wake up one day to find Kagome dead, and realize his hatred of human-demon relationships only made him unhappy?

He was sulking his way toward the next Orochi nest when he caught a scent that he initially mistook for Kagome's. Curious about the owner of the scent, he suppressed his own scent and soon found himself sitting fifty feet above a priestess he recognized from his own past. Midoriko.

A few minutes after Midoriko arrived at the edge of a secluded glade, his father met her and took her hands into his, kissing her passionately. Sesshomaru gasped and quickly left the area, having never so much as suspected his father of seducing the priestess. He was just a kid when this happened though. Curiosity got the better of him, and he soon found himself spying on them again.

"The forces are coming in from the north." Touga said.

Midoriko rested in his embrace. "Touga, there's something you need to know."

"Shhh...I know." Touga replied. "I can smell it, don't worry, as soon as we get through this attack it should be safe for you."

Sesshomaru sniffed the air for some sign of what his father was talking about, and he did indeed find it. The young priestess was pregnant, and from her tone, it must have been his father's. Sesshomaru knew she only had a few days to live, which made the entire issue irrelevant, but his father still seemed nervous about the idea.

"The child will be hanyou." Midoriko said. "It'll be hunted."

"I'll protect the baby." Touga said. "Don't worry about a thing." He kissed her and said words Sesshomaru had only heard him say to one other person, Inuyasha's mother. "I love you."

Sesshomaru left their private meeting and made his way to the final Orochi nest, his heart still seemingly having a battle with itself. Maybe he wanted to talk to his father, after all, but not until he'd lost this mortal woman he cared about so much. Saving Midoriko would have consequences even Sesshomaru knew he couldn't fathom. They were there to make sure the jewel doesn't exist to be tossed around for centuries of bloodshed. Any footprint they left had to blend into history.

The next morning, Kagome woke up to find Midoriko in the tent with them. "You, come with me." Midoriko said to her. "That object you carry troubles my soul." Midoriko said, as they walked in the woods. "What is it? Touga said you came from the future, so I assume it is something from your own time."

"Sort of." Kagome said. "Well, there's not really an easy way to say this, but...this jewel is a big part of your soul."

Midoriko took the jewel into her hand and frowned. "Are you one of the Great Mikos?" She said. "One summoned every five centuries?"

Kagome looked very confused. "I-I don't know. I know I'm the reincarnation of a priestess named Kikyou from 500 years from now, and I'm 500 years from then."

"Then you are." Midoriko said. "I know what this jewel is now, and I think I understand how it got this way."

Kagome let Midoriko roll it back into her hand. "I want to destroy it. And for you to never create it."

"Why not put it back where it belongs?" Midoriko asked.

"Is has a place?" Kagome asked.

Midoriko knelt and nodded. "It belongs inside of your soul, Kagome. What is in this jewel isn't just part of my soul; it is your soul too, since you are my reincarnation." She said. "Every five centuries, this soul reincarnates itself to protect humans."

"You, Kikyou, and myself...we are the same soul?" Kagome asked.

Midoriko laughed. "Of course not! The soul is more than just what reincarnates. Your heart, your personality, and your desires are yours and yours alone. What you share with this Kikyou and I is the power and responsibility of protecting humans." She looked down at the jewel. "In order to aid us in our destiny, we are given a great amount of power, which has been sealed away in that jewel you carry."

"Wow." Kagome said.

Midoriko nodded. "I possess the power to destroy this." She said. "But I believe that is a poor choice. What I can do is merge it with your soul."

"I don't want to be hunted for it!" Kagome said. "That's just the problem! Someone gets it, and everyone else gangs up on him until he dies, then it just goes to someone else."

Midoriko took the jewel from her. "You don't understand. I'm not saying I would put it in your body. I would force it back into your soul. This jewel would cease to exist, and the power would be bound to your life." She stared at it, watching it sparkle in the morning light. "You keep it so pure, Kagome. You were meant to wield the power within."

"What will happen to me when you do this?" Kagome asked nervously.

"You'll be the priestess destiny intended you to be. And this," She said, holding up the jewel, "Could no longer plague the earth. It is your power, Kagome, and you must use it. I do not believe fate would choose a woman who would not do her duty."

"I need to talk to someone first." Kagome said. _I hadn't expected this. This makes things fit together a little better, but I'm not sure if I want that kind of power. Am I ready for it? Can I handle it?_

When Midoriko turned to the sound of a bird chirping, Kagome noticed something familiar protruding from beneath her cloak. "Those swords..." She said. _Those are the same swords Sesshomaru gave me!_

Midoriko smiled. "They were given to me by a priest on the continent a few years ago. They allow my to use my powers in a very violent manner." She said with an evil grin.

_Where did Sesshomaru get them? They must have been hidden someplace and he knew where. But why?_ Her mind went back to the day she first spoke to Inuyasha as he was sealed to the tree. _My scent was like Kikyou's, and Inuyasha actually confused me for her. Does that also mean my smell is like Midoriko's? If not, it would be a strange coincidence that someone who knew her just happened to pass sacred weapons to her reincarnation. He must have known._

"Are you alright, Kagome?" Midoriko asked.

Kagome nodded. "I changed my mind. Do it, the person I wanted to talk to must have figured all of this out long before now."

Midoriko shrugged in confusion. "Lay down and close your eyes, Kagome. I'm not going to lie; this is going to be a strange, life-changing experience." She said, sitting next to Kagome as she laid on the ground. "When you open them again, the world is going to be very different, but don't be afraid."

Kagome suddenly felt paralyzed and cold, lost in some sort of nightmare.

In her nightmare, she found herself running after Inuyasha in a big field. He was running from her, and she didn't know why. Finally, she caught up to him and she saw his claws covered in blood. "I'm sorry, Kagome!" He screamed, looking over at a pile of corpses she recognized as the companions she had while she traveled with him. "I couldn't stop myself!"

"Inuyasha!" She screamed. "They're already dead, you didn't kill them!"

Then, everything went black and she found herself sitting in the Sacred Tree beside him. "Hey Kagome." He said.

"You aren't real." She muttered.

"Keh. See if I bother coming to see your soul again." Inuyasha said. He looked at her and smiled. "Your soul was calling for mine. I couldn't say no, not to you."

Kagome leaned on him. "I'm so confused."

"Don't worry about it." Inuyasha said. "We're all together in the afterlife, except Shippou. I think he's still nuts. It's not bad though. There's no jewel shards, no Naraku, and nobody to save. It's peaceful." He smiled and put his arm around her. "I even got to get to know my dad. I guess you have too now."

Kagome clenched the tree branch. "He's worse than Miroku."

"Yeah." Inuyasha said. "I always felt so shy around you, it's hard to believe he's actually my flesh and blood." He looked at the glowing area near her heart. "You're going to become one with the jewel and run the streets with Sesshomaru, eh?"

Kagome looked down, ashamed. "It's not like that."

"Stop being dumb." Inuyasha said. "Remember Kikyou? All she wanted when she died was to take me with her. I want you to be happy a lot more than I want you to be with me."

Kagome sighed and held his hand. "We wasted too much time."

"Yeah." Inuyasha said. "We could have done all sorts of naughty things, but instead we just called call other names and acted like idiots." He turned and looked into her eyes. "I really love you with all of my heart."

"Inuyasha..." Kagome cried. "I love you too!"

Inuyasha wrapped his arms around her and captured her lips in a passionate kiss. It was the moment Kagome had waited several years for, and it was amazing. Passionate yet bittersweet. A voice in her head told her it was time to wake up, and she held onto him tighter until Inuyasha pulled away. "Take care of my idiot brother, okay?"

Kagome nodded.

"And let yourself love again. Don't make my mistake and make someone wait while you hang up your soul on someone who is too dead to make you happy." He said.

Her eyes flashed open and she saw Midoriko leaning over her. All around, she could sense demonic auras, hear far away birds singing, and smell things and people she never had before. When she really looked at Midoriko, she could see a bright glow around her heart.

"Is that your soul?" Kagome asked. "That glow."

"Mmhmm!" Midoriko said. "Everything you need to learn will come in due time, Kagome."

"Everything is so different." Kagome said. "I know exactly where the camp is, even though I have no idea which direction that is. It's just...where all those auras are." She sat up and closed her eyes, still generally aware of everything that was happening around her.

Midoriko helped her to her feet. "Kagome, you now possess the power to save, purify, and destroy souls. Save any soul who asks it of you, because it is not your place to decide otherwise. Purify those souls who cry out for freedom from their own nature." She got a more grave expression and met Kagome's eyes. "Be merciful, do not destroy a soul unless you feel in your heart that the creature deserves no afterlife. When you do this, his will, his life, and his memories will simply cease to exist."

Kagome nodded and followed the priestess. "There is one more thing you should know." Midoriko said. "Do not try to change time. If this jewel was created, then I'll do nothing to stop creating it now. It seems to be my destiny. If you try to change something bad, something equally bad will occur. There is a balance in time and even I do not know the consequences for disrupting it."

_I can feel it in my soul. _Kagome thought. _This must be why only Kikyou and I could sense the shards._ She looked up at Midoriko's face, filled with peace that her own destiny would be so terrible. "I understand." Kagome said. "I think it's time for Sesshomaru and I to go home."

"Indeed." Midoriko said as they walked back to the camp.

Not far from there, Sesshomaru knelt next to a stream, watching the water rush by as he licked a wound on his arm. He sensed his father approaching and simply sat there as the man walked up behind him. "You look like shit. Rough night?" Touga said, sitting next to the boy.

"Hmph." Sesshomaru replied. "It does not concern you."

Touga sighed. "You see these rocks, Son? They've been in the bottom of this river bed since the river was formed centuries ago during an earthquake." He reached into the water and picked one up. "Back then, the rocks were jagged and sharp. The rushing water has made them smoother as time goes by." Sesshomaru looked over at him, knowing only his father was allowed to speak to him like this. "Our lives are the same way."

Sesshomaru picked a tiny white flower growing at the edge of the water. "She is mortal. She'll die someday."

"As will you, even if it's a long time from now." His father said. "That flower in your hand is going to wilt and wither away regardless of whether or not you stop to appreciate it. Would you truly cast something so beautiful aside simply because it won't last forever?"

Sesshomaru looked down at the flower and then threw it in the river.

Touga grinned. "It's good to see you like this." He said.

"I am glad my confusion pleases you, Father." Sesshomaru replied. "I swore would never follow in your footsteps, and yet here I am."

"In other words, you are happy?" Touga asked. Sesshomaru almost grinned at him. "It's a pity it took a thousand years for you to stop being a stubborn idiot."

Sesshomaru stood up. "I think it is time for me to go back to my own time."

Touga watched him walking away. "Hey Sesshomaru? I fucking told you so."

Sesshomaru grunted and disappeared in the direction of Kagome, who he found walking in the forest with Midoriko. The first thing he noticed is that her aura seemed considerably stronger. When he dropped from the trees, Midoriko politely bowed and left them alone.

Kagome walked up to him and noticed the cuts and bruises that decorated his body. "Sesshomaru! Are you okay?"

"This Sesshomaru is fine." He said, as if her worry was silly.

"You knew!" Kagome said. "You knew what I was all along."

"Of course." Sesshomaru said.

"Was it my scent?" Kagome asked. "I mean...how did you know?"

Sesshomaru walked toward the area that would someday be the Bone-Eater's Well. "You could sense the jewel shards. Why would you be able to sense pieces of someone else's soul?"

_Sesshomaru had it all figured out a long time ago. I suppose he had his reasons for not explaining it to me, although it does kind of piss me off. Oh well, I can't really be mad at him. His plan resolved the issue of the jewel being exploited._

"I suggest we keep your new power secret for awhile." Sesshomaru said. "At the right moment, the benefit of surprise will be a huge advantage."

"Alright." Kagome said. "I was thinking...about keeping Midoriko from making the jewel...it seems like a really risky idea. We could change everything, or nothing at all."

"Let's go home, Kagome." Sesshomaru said.

**Please Review! Pwitty Pwease!**

Special thanks to my fantastic reviewers!

Poketenshi , Lovelywitch, Animefirl2005, Hentai18ancilla, Babygirl505, Serasvictoria666 – I wuv you!

**Next Chapter: Return to the present! Sesshomaru gets his hands on Kagome's father and the mysterious mind controller Drake!**


	7. Intimacy

**Chapter 7**

"They believe you can't remember anything about your time in the feudal era." Sesshomaru said as they got closer to the devastated area So'unga had created.

"Really?" Kagome asked. "Why do they think I hang out with you?"

He shrugged and Kagome jumped on his back, since the ground ahead was covered in glass and sharp rocks that went up to her knees. Kagome gave a dreamy sigh and leaned over his shoulder. "You don't mind having to carry me like this, do you?"

Sesshomaru's eyes drifted to the legs that hugged his hips and gave a soft smile. "It's not terrible."

Kagome smiled. _Is this really happening? Did he actually just flirt with me?_ Feeling a little more daring than normally, she teasingly blew in his ear. "Oh yeah?" His head turned and his amber eyes met hers with more warmth than she had seen from him in her entire life. He reached into his pocket and tucked a wet, white flower behind her ear. "Thank you." She said.

His body seemed to tense up when they got closer to the crater. "They will likely be waiting for us." He said. "So be on guard."

"Right!" Kagome said as he leapt into the hole, which sent them through the blue mist and back out into her own time. "What's that smell?" She asked, as sharp incense hurt her nose.

Sesshomaru growled. "Incense to confuse my nose." His voice went lower. "Do you sense anything?"

She closer her eyes and focused. "There's a demon in the Sacred Tree and nothing else around. I think...I think it's Drake. I don't know why."

Sesshomaru nudged her off, and she stood and waited as he leapt from the door of the well house to the Sacred Tree, catching the mind controller completely off guard and unprepared. Drake fell out of the tree and vanished, frustrating Sesshomaru, who found it both annoying and dishonorable for him to disappear as such.

"My head..." Kagome moaned, holding the sides of her head. "It's like my senses are overwhelmed. It hurts."

"It'll stop as you grow accustomed to it. When I was a child, the same thing happened when my father took me to a big city on the continent." Sesshomaru said, scooping her up in his arms just as a door on the house opened. He and Kagome were long gone by the time Kagome's mother investigated the noise she'd heard, only to find nothing whatsoever.

Kagome let Sesshomaru carry her home. His expression seemed softer and warmer before. "Hey Sesshomaru? Something about you seems different." She said.

He looked down at her and arched his left brow. "Hn?"

"You look...better." She said. "I don't know how to describe it." Being physically close to his heart, and thus his soul, her new senses were picking up on a lot more feeling than she thought would be present in Sesshomaru.

Sesshomaru considered the next step as he carried the girl back to the place they called home. His instincts told him not to tell her how he felt, but he recognized the fear of rejection and scolded his subconscious for being so timid. He wasn't one to hide from anything, and even as a child, he faced everything head on.

He landed on the balcony that lead to Kagome's room and opened the door. He wasn't sure if they'd bothered with any door locks whatsoever since they had moved in. With his senses, what was the point?

"Thank you, Sesshomaru." Kagome said. "Is there any aspirin around?"

"I'll get it." He replied, to her surprise, and returned a minute or so later with a Coke and a bottle of aspirin.

"You're being nice today." Kagome said. _Something about him is different._ She thought.

He sat down on the edge of the bed and looked down at her. "I have a proposition for you, Kagome."

"What sort of proposition?" Kagome said.

Sesshomaru met her eyes and he grasped one of her hands. "Fall in love with me."

_...Did I hear that right? Did hell freeze over?_

"Sesshomaru?" Kagome asked. "You want to be in love with a mortal?"

"Hai." He said. _I've never seen that look in his eyes before. It's loving and yet vulnerable; he loves me?_ "I am not content to simply feel this way, I want...not only to love, but be in love."

Kagome sat up. "I thought I'd never get over Inuyasha but, I really do care so much about you. There are things you have to do, if you want to try this." She said. "You have to talk to me and let us be close. If you want to really be in love, you can't hide yourself from me all the time."

Sesshomaru nodded. "Yes." He said, his eyes heavy with emotion from his confession.

"Do you want to lay down and rest with me?" Kagome asked nervously. Sesshomaru nodded and laid down next to her, still holding her hand in his. _What he just told me probably took a lot of courage. Then again, Sesshomaru is brave in his own way. I'm not sure that I'll ever understand him, but I know how much I trust him and that if he asked me to fall in love with him, he sincerely meant it. He's nothing like his brother, who was like a lovesick puppy. Sesshomaru seems to have thought this out and intends to pursue it._

Kagome turned her head to face him and met two beautiful amber eyes staring back at her. "This is nice." She said, snuggling closer to him.

"Indeed." Sesshomaru said. "How is your head, Little Miko?"

"My head?" Kagome asked. "Oh, that. My mood is too good to notice something like that right now." She yawned. "My body is telling me its exhausted. And filthy. I bet this is brutal on your nose."

"I hate to tell you this, Kagome, but you're in heat. You could roll in sewage and still smell like heaven." He muttered.

Kagome suddenly sat up in the bed and put her hands on her hips. "Speaking of sewage! That little task you sent me on landed me a pool of that nasty filth!"

"Well, I certainly didn't want that." Sesshomaru said, folding his hands behind his head as he watched the girl in her cute anger. "...to happen to me."

Without thinking, Kagome picked up the only thing she could reach and hit Sesshomaru in the face with a pillow. "You jerk! You're terrible!" She said, incapable of making the smile leave her face. Sesshomaru wrapped his arms around her and pulled her down on top of him. "You'll never get away with this!" She teased.

"I will." Sesshomaru said. "This Sesshomaru does not answer to girls." He rolled her over onto her back. "However, I have things I need to do while you rest." He said.

"Hey Sesshomaru." Kagome said as he was about to walk out into the hall. "What do you think so far?"

"You're a peculiar girl." He said, watching the scowl form on Kagome's face. "...But I enjoy your presence."

Kagome stretched and sighed in contentment, then rearranged herself so she could be under the covers of the bed. She fell asleep, knowing she'd probably sleep most of the day and Sesshomaru knew better than to wake her. Surprisingly, he'd always been forgiving of her sleeping habits, letting her sleep into the afternoon if work kept them out late or exhausted her.

Sesshomaru picked up Drake's scent in the sewers and traced it to a hidden passage that lead to a tiny room, where he lay sleeping on a bed with the two demoness twins Kagome had seen with him. This demon was one of the few who still probably possessed the power to control Kagome, so it was important that she wasn't there with him for this. Drake had to be the first to go. The dragon and the Orochi had their brute force, and Shippou would likely prove a challenge, but Drake was the only one that could totally disarm Kagome and use her against him. Sesshomaru knew that none of the four 'lords' of the Tokyo Underground were above such mind games, and since he and Kagome had vowed not to play into their traps, this was the first step.

"Get up." Sesshomaru said, kicking a table across the filthy room.

Drake and the two females in bed with him shot up, caught unaware. "You found us here!" Drake hissed. "I concealed my scent!"

Sesshomaru gave him a cold stare. "Your scent isn't the only one that seems to be stuck on you, Drake." His eyes drifted to each of the ladies.

"What do you want, Sesshomaru?" Drake asked.

"I'm here to end your pathetic excuse for a life." Sesshomaru said, drawing Tessaiga.

Drake laughed. "You wish. Where's the Sacred Jewel?"

"Silence." Sesshomaru said, swinging Tessaiga at Drake, only to find out both of his bedmates capable of breathing fire. Drake disappeared, and Sesshomaru's ears helped him finally figure his strange disappearances out. He was teleporting around. In this case, he had teleported into a tunnel above them.

"Problems?" Drake said, teleporting behind Sesshomaru.

"No." Sesshomaru said, flashing his poisonous claws. He turned to the two women that had been with him and let them watch poison drip from his claws.

"Leave them out of this." Drake said. Sesshomaru used a whip to give him a tiny gash. "You think...that hurt me?" He laughed and teleported again.

Sesshomaru shook his head. "These creatures are as complicit in this scheme as you are. I am not blind." With one sweep, his claws slashed both throats, sending the demonesses to the ground, bleeding profusely. The wounds quickly changed color with the poison as Sesshomaru turned with Tessaiga and he sniffed. That tiny gash wouldn't kill Drake, but the precious drops of blood he was losing told him exactly where Drake was. And where Drake is...there was a Wind Scar.

He drove Tenseiga into the floor of the sewer hallway that lead to the room where he found Drake, then used Tessaiga and slashed in front of him. "Wind Scar!" He shouted, as a blast of energy went through him and several sewer walls, causing them to collapse. The next thing he smelled was Drake, who lay slain at the end of the Wind Scar's path.

Sesshomaru waited and a few seconds later, the entire area collapsed, burying his body in a mountain of filthy concrete and sewage. The destruction stopped only feet from Sesshomaru, blocked by Tenseiga's barrier. He reclaimed the sword and walked away.

One down, three to go.

Sesshomaru suddenly felt pangs of sympathy for Kagome, as he remembered all of the events that had lead to them living together. As far as he could tell at the time, a big chunk of her life had been a disaster caused by the demons they currently hunted. She had even given up her own family.

He sighed and went to go hunt down Kagome's father, the useless creep who had sold her to such a fate. Sesshomaru was rather pleased with himself at how much his reflexes and agility had actually improved since coming to live in modern Tokyo. He could leap and land on narrow windows, then catapult himself several blocks before returning to a solid surface for the next leap. He picked up Kiyoshi Higurashi's scent and followed it to a club, where he sat at the feet of a nearly nude woman who rubbed her body all over a metal pole.

Sesshomaru was still surprised by how carnal and crude humans could be. In this time, they were almost as bad as demons, only with divorce and custody battles instead of mating duels. He looked around and realized he was alone, and had a black eye which was likely punishment for failing to send Kagome back to ancient Japan alone. Sesshomaru grabbed Kiyoshi by the hair and hauled him outside, never feeling more impatient or disgusted with a single human being as the one he was dragging behind him.

"Speak." Sesshomaru commanded.

Kiyoshi attempted to stand, but found Sesshomaru's boot on his torso, holding him down. "What the hell do you want?"

"I wish to know what you received, in exchange for Kagome's life." Sesshomaru said.

Kiyoshi sneered. "I'm not telling you----fuck!" He cried out as a single drop of poison landed on his shirt and burned through to his skin. "Immortality." He blurted out.

Sesshomaru's eyes narrowed angrily. His own father had given his life to save his younger brother, and he found it almost beyond comprehension to try to figure this man out. "How were you made immortal?"

"A potion." Kiyoshi said. Sesshomaru nodded, noting that it must be this potion that changed his scent. "I wouldn't do it again, it messes up my fucking memory."

"I would like to hope you have other reasons for regretting it." Sesshomaru said. "Where is the Orochi?" He asked.

"Hoshiko? She's sick." Kiyoshi said, watching another drop of poison threaten to fall from Sesshomaru's finger. "She's staying at a mansion on the northern edge of town." The drop fell on his lips, making him cry out in pain and try to get the poison away from his mouth. When he finally came to his senses, Sesshomaru was gone.

As Sesshomaru made his way back home, his mind recalled something Kouga told him. Kouga said Rin had somehow lasted way longer than a human, but seemed to have some weird memory problem, just like Kiyoshi. What had Rin given in exchange for immortality? Sesshomaru scoffed at the idea. That wasn't something Rin would care about. The kitsune probably had a much greater fear of loss,so was it possible Shippou was serving So'unga in exchange for Rin's immortality? Where was Rin?

If Shippou was some sort of slave, it would make sense to approach him last. Of the four Lords of the Tokyo Underground, he'd killed Drake, and planned to kill So'unga and Hoshiko, the Orochi. If he killed Hoshiko and So'unga, Shippou might be free to act on his own. Sesshomaru wasn't particularly worried about having to face Hoshiko, since he'd been ankle deep in corpses of her kind in ancient Japan. Even Shippou wouldn't pose a huge problem, although if he chose to engage them he would require adaptation, being an illusionist.

So'unga was going to be the problem. He was the fiercest, most cruel of the four and the real problem was his powers – he could open and close gateways to hell. Defeating him in any normal fashion would just cause him to emerge back onto earth. Sesshomaru's father had coped with the decision by impaling the demon's heart on a sword he randomly picked up from the battleground they fought above. This sealed the dragon in the sword for a very long time, but that wasn't an option this time. Since So'unga was probably he mastermind behind the whole time-travel fiasco, their solution had to be permanent.

Sesshomaru walked past Kagome's room, but didn't disturb her, sensing that she was still sound asleep. He planned on hunting down and killing Hoshiko late in the night, and approaching Kagome on the subject of using her powers to eliminate So'unga from existence completely. He wasn't sure she'd be able to complete the task, but it was really the only option they had. If worst came to worst, he could send So'unga to the meidou and then try to contend with him there, but Sesshomaru didn't particularly like the idea of battles in hell.

He decided to take a nap and awoke several hours later to the sound of Kagome humming. Since he'd never heard her do this before, he walked down the hall so he could hear it better. She was in the shower, from what he could tell, humming sweetly. He assumed she felt a little better than normal...had it been because of his confession? He made Kagome feel happy?

Sesshomaru felt a surge of contentment at the idea that he made Kagome happy. It was a new feeling for him entirely, but he liked it. The water stopped, but the humming didn't, and he heard her drying off her flawless skin, then the rustling of her clothes and armor as she dressed. When she came out of the bathroom, Sesshomaru quickly darted away, pretending he wasn't that interested.

"Sesshomaru..." Kagome cooed. "I could sense you outside the door the whole time."

Sesshomaru grunted and said something under his breath. "Ready to go?" He asked. Really, he loved the way Kagome spoke to him like that, so gentle and sweet. He also knew that in exchange for gentle and sweet, he had to return the same, or she'd feel hurt. His eyes softened. "You look lovely." He said, catching Kagome off guard. She blushed and smiled shyly.

_Wow, he's really trying._ Kagome thought as she rode on his back in search of Hoshiko the Orochi. _"Fall in love with me" he says, but I think what he really meant to say is "I think I love you." I suppose it'll just take time, but we're so trusting of each other so I have a good feeling about all of this. Plus, this is probably really good for him, having to swallow all that pride and confess his love to a mortal!_ She giggled slightly and leaned over his back. "Hey, Sesshomaru, I'm a mortal."

"Yes, I am aware of this fact." Sesshomaru said.

"Just making sure you didn't forget or something." Kagome said. "Is this demon lady going to be a problem?"

"Not likely." Sesshomaru said, neglecting to tell her about his Orochi massacre in Ancient Japan during their stay. He had their scent fresh in his mind, so tracking her hadn't been very difficult. He landed on a tree and pointed. "That house there. Hoshiko and So'unga are both inside. Stay close once we get inside."

"Sure thing." Kagome said as Sesshomaru sprinted toward a huge glass window. _He better not! Not with me on his back! You idiot!_ She hid her face in his back as Sesshomaru shattered the window and ran down a long marble hallway. Suddenly, he slid across the floor in an attempt to stop and fell down, landing on Kagome.

Kagome looked up to see a demon man holding a woman up by the hair, claws at her throat. "One more step and she finally DOES die." He said.

"Rin!" Sesshomaru shouted.

"Lord Sesshomaru? You're alive!" The woman said, terrified beyond all belief. Kagome was shocked to see her all grown up. Rin was a very beautiful woman, even in her current state of terror. She had long, flowing brown hair and big brown eyes.

Sesshomaru growled at the man. "So'unga. I can assure you that if you harm that girl you will regret it." He threatened.

So'unga smiled. "What's wrong, Sesshomaru? Can't stomach the idea of watching your little Rin die? Hand over the jewel and I'll let her go."

"Never." Sesshomaru said, his lightning fast reflexes catching So'unga's hand in a whip. He threw Rin back to Kagome. "Get her out of here!" Sesshomaru barked at Kagome, who nodded and grabbed Rin by the hand, leading her to the window they'd broken through, since it might be the only safe passage out.

They were almost out when a woman dropped from the top of the window, blocking them. "You would leave without saying hello to the host? How very improper!" Kagome shuddered, the evil around the woman sickened her. _This has to be Hoshiko._ Kagome's senses told her something wasn't right, and the demoness looked extremely weak. "Time to die, ladies!"

"No!" Kagome said, stretching her arm out in front of her, unintentionally forming a force field around her and Rin. "Get away from us!" She heard a lot of noise and knew So'unga and Sesshomaru must have been fighting, which meant help might take awhile. She drew the swords Sesshomaru had given her and lunged out of the barrier. "I said GET AWAY!" Kagome said, as she felt energy course through her body and into the blades, which glowed blue as she swung at the Hoshiko. Kagome didn't land a hit, but the purification energy that erupted from the blade when she swung left burns all over Hoshiko.

By then, Sesshomaru and So'unga had been fighting for a few minutes, but neither had really used any devastatingly destructive powers, since both had reasons they didn't want to kill everything in the mansion by making it collapse. "Sesshomaru...stop holding back."

"Silence!" Sesshomaru yelled.

"You and your father...you'll both die for those pathetic human females." So'unga taunted. "If your father had listened to me and let that whelp of a brother of yours die, we'd both be in better sorts right now."

"Still sore you couldn't kill my hanyou brother?" Sesshomaru said. "He was a feisty little bastard."

So'unga drew a dagger which Sesshomaru immediately noticed was covered in poison and threw at Sesshomaru. He tried to deflect the dagger, but it seemed to be trained to it's destination. Even when he tried to dodge it, it curved upward and planted itself in his chest. "Ungh!" Sesshomaru groaned as he pulled it out of his chest. "Poison...you coward." He hissed, feeling the poison work it's way through his blood like fire.

"That's not any ordinary poison. It's something special I brought with me from hell." So'unga said. "Think of it as...reverse purification. You will lose the power of choice and become a slave to your youkai."

Sesshomaru's eyes flew open and he felt genuine terror about what he was about to become.

"You'll probably kill that wench." So'unga said, as he walked away from Sesshomaru.

Kagome felt his soul suddenly transform into something dark and wicked. She had no idea what was going on, but it frightened her on more levels than she cared to think about. "Rin...go." She said. Rin left and Kagome formed a barrier around her and then threw it back, making Hoshiko fall. Kagome leapt on top of Hoshiko and stabbed her in the heart, purifying her.

Kagome sensed So'unga coming closer and started to make a break for freedom, but wasn't even fast enough outrun So'unga. He grabbed her and threw her down. "You bitch!" He screamed, looking down at the skeleton of Hoshiko. "How?"

"Let...her...go."

Kagome and So'unga both turned to Sesshomaru, whose eyes were blood red. He flashed his fangs and claws and then lunged at So'unga. Kagome winced when she stood and a sharp pain shot through her ankle, but she couldn't care less. She was utterly terrified of transformed Sesshomaru, and knew no hugging or encouragement was going to bring him back down like it had with Inuyasha. She ran and saw Rin waiting for her at the end of the street.

"Rin, we need to split up." Kagome said. "Something happened to Sesshomaru, he's not himself."

_What's happening?_ She thought as she ran through the dark streets. _I felt his soul darken. It's not even remotely like the way it felt earlier. His face...it was just like Inuyasha's when he couldn't control his inner demon._

"Where should I go?" Rin asked.

The decision was made for her when So'unga suddenly leapt out of nowhere and grabbed her, gone before Kagome could react. Seconds later, she heard a terrifying growl and turned to see Sesshomaru, who was drooling poison as he flashed his fangs at her. "Sesshomaru?" She whimpered.

"Hello, mate." He said, with surprising lucidity.

Kagome stepped back. "You're not yourself, and I'm...I'm not your mate."

Sesshomaru humored her with a smirk. "You will be soon." He picked her up and she struggled against him, but he growled once and gave her a threatening glare. "Don't make me poison you, Love."

"I'm just a puny mortal. You don't want me for a mate!" She whined as he carried her, his claws inches from her skin.

He smiled wide enough to flash all his fangs. "What I want is for you to be a good girl and bear me a pup."

"Are you fucking kidding me?" Kagome said. "You...you are out of your mind. Put me down right now!"

"No, Love." Sesshomaru said, as kicked the door in of their home. "Tell me you want me." He said, dropping her so her feet touched the ground. He put his hands around her waist and pulled her close to him.

_I know what I need to do._ Kagome thought, as she put on open palm on his chest.

Sesshomaru fell backwards, incapable of moving when the sensation hit him. It was like she was reaching into his soul. Kagome fell on top of him and closed her eyes, as if in a trance. _I will purify your soul, Sesshomaru._ Kagome thought, letting her powers and instincts show her what to do. In his heart, Sesshomaru fought the process. _Demons don't want to be purified. They don't want the ability to choose._

Kagome knew Sesshomaru was one of the strongest demons alive on the planet, and that purifying him was going to be difficult, especially since she had never done it before. Suddenly, she felt as if she pushed her way into his soul, which was overwhelmingly strong and fighting her with everything he had. Some of his more important memories seemed to flash before her as she forced her way into his soul.

Kagome saw his mother tell him to stop being so emotional, her own stoic expression unmoved by whatever her son was feeling, be it pain or misery or even happiness. She saw some girl kiss him, only to be rejected by Sesshomaru's cold nature. The closer she got to the center of his soul, she saw memories that seemed to mean a lot to him – watching Rin, fighting Inuyasha, hunting Naraku, and his father's death.

Suddenly, it was like she hit a wall. He was guarding himself from her, and as she fought against it, she quickly felt exhausted. Kagome screamed when an unfathomable pain shot through her heart. Sesshomaru felt it, and heard her cry echo through his ears and his soul. _My soul..._ Kagome thought. _Is this what Midoriko felt when he soul was being forced out?_

She opened her eyes and saw Sesshomaru staring up at her, shaking beneath her. "Sesshomaru..." She whispered, out of energy. She fell on his chest, panting, still connected to him, but unable to finish. Kagome felt a wave of turmoil strike Sesshomaru's heart.

Sesshomaru in his current state was a slave to the beast inside of him. He was a dog, a crazy, uncontrollable dog, but a dog nonetheless. He was loyal, gentle, and he trusted Kagome with his entire being. He looked down at the exhausted creature resting on his body and realized he would lose her completely if he kept fighting her.

"Sesshomaru..." Kagome whispered as she looked up at him. "Trust me."

His hands wrapped tightly around her as she came down on his lips in a bruising, feverish kiss. Kagome felt the walls of his soul come down as he made himself totally vulnerable to her, knowing she was going to change him back. He would prefer to be a tame animal with Kagome than a lonely wild one. He winced in pain as the purity touched his soul and they broke their kiss.

When Kagome opened her eyes, she was still on top of him, both of them trembling. He felt the warmth of her tears as she started to cry, and sat up, raising her chin so he could look into her eyes. She had touched his heart and soul. He gently kissed her on the lips and ran his fingers through her messy hair. They had been intimate in a way few other souls would ever know.

"Sesshomaru?" Kagome said when the kiss broke. "I saw what you wanted, and heard what you said." She said, referring to his mention and dreams of making her his mate and having children.

He hung his head.

"Ask me." Kagome said. She wanted to know him. Now, she knew him better than any other person ever would, and...she loved him.

Sesshomaru's amber eyes met hers again, filled with passion and love. "I love you, Kagome. Will you be my mate?"

"Yes." Kagome said, unable to add anything when she found her lips kidnapped by the impassioned demon. He swooped her up into his arms and carried her upstairs. _I wanted this to go slower, but it seems the art of soul-touching moves a relationship along pretty quickly. _She thought. _Wait...am I about to lose my virginity? To Sesshomaru?!_

_Yes. And I want this. _

"Wait..." Kagome said as he laid her down on his bed. "About having a baby..."

Sesshomaru chuckled and laid down beside her. "Pups can wait." He said, as he took his jacket and swords off, then pulled his shirt over his head. Then, he instructed Kagome to sit up as he began the slow process of undressing her.

A few minutes later, two shirts, four socks, some armor, two pairs of pants, four shoes, two pairs of underwear, and a bra kept Tenseiga and Tessaiga company on the floor beside the bed.

Sesshomaru gently kissed her on the lips, then kissed and licked a trail to her breasts, which received his full attention as he licked and sucked them. Kagome let out a moan and he grinned before gently taking one of her nipples in his teeth. Her raspy moans were driving him crazy, as was the scent her body was making due to his attention. Sesshomaru kissed back to her mouth, letting out a growl when Kagome suddenly nipped one of his ears, then licked it.

His hands wandered over her body and then slipped in between her legs. Kagome moaned into his mouth as he felt and then suddenly stopped. "My claws...I don't want to hurt you." He crawled to the edge of the bed and grabbed one of his swords, then tried to slice his claws off.

Kagome giggled. "Sesshomaru, are you trying to cut your nails or resurrect them from the dead?"

"Awww...damn you, Tenseiga." He muttered as he stared at the sword. "I could send my claws to the meidou, I suppose." He said as he threw Tenseiga down and used Tessaiga, which sliced them without a problem.

Sesshomaru looked at his shorter nails and Kagome considered hiding when he suddenly wore a wicked smirk. She didn't even have the time, as Sesshomaru tackled her and started to tickle her, relishing her uncontrollable giggling.

_He has a playful side! If I could go back in time and tell the Kagome he drenched in poison that she'd someday find herself naked and giggling under Tickle Torture from Sesshomaru, she'd probably...freak out or something. Can't think...lack of oxygen...must stop laughing!_

When Sesshomaru finally stopped tickling her, he had the most amused expression she had ever seen on him. "Hey! That wasn't fair, you cheater!" She complained, suddenly unable to keep talking as he kissed her again. His mouth was warm and tasted sweet, and his body seemed to practically be on fire. Kagome writhed when his fingers found their way between her legs again.

Sesshomaru watched as her eyes turned from amusement to enjoyment to desperation as time went on. She begged for him, looking up at him with pleading eyes. Finally, nearly driven made by the scent of her arousal, Sesshomaru crawled on top of her and kissed her gently, then pushed her legs apart. He looked into her eyes, as if asking permission.

"I need you." Kagome said, holding onto him tightly.

He growled the thrust into her, causing Kagome to cry out in pain. Sesshomaru didn't particularly feel like being soft and sweet, and Kagome made it clear that she didn't want it that way, either. He thrust fast and hard, keeping it intense, his soul still feeling on fire from the touch of the beautiful woman beneath him.

Kagome looked up at Sesshomaru's eyes, which just seemed too intense for words. She had always imagined her first time being awkward and slow, but sweet and romantic. _But this...this is beyond words._ She thought. The heat between their bodies and souls was almost more than she could take, and the only thing anchoring her to the world was the intensity building between their bodies. She reached out and touched his chest, linking their souls together, just as she went over the edge with him.

Sesshomaru panted for a moment, then nuzzled and licked her affectionately as she returned to her senses.

_He feels free..._ Kagome thought as she fell asleep in his arms.

**Please Review! Pwitty Pwease!**

Special thanks to MoonStarDutchess, Mysticwolf71891, animegirl2005, hentai18ancilla, serasvictoria666.

**Next Chapter: Sesshomaru and Kagome find Shippou!**


	8. So'unga's Inferno

**Chapter 8**

"It hurts." Kagome whined as she stood up.

"Did you think you wouldn't be sore after that?" Sesshomaru asked.

She frowned and stuck her tongue out. "Dog food is on this aisle, if you want to get some." He growled in response and she smiled. "My point exactly!" Kagome put a box of canned Coke into the grocery cart. "I used to feed Inuyasha dog biscuits. He really loved them."

Sesshomaru sighed. "My brother..."

"KAGOME?!"

Sesshomaru nearly jumped out of his skin when three female voices called out Kagome's name in unison. He recognized them as being the three girls he'd seen with Kagome while spying on her before she left home. "Uhh...hi guys!" Kagome said.

"Did you really move out?" Ayumi asked. "And...who is this guy?"

Kagome smiled. "This is Sesshomaru, my roommate."

"Boyfriend." Sesshomaru corrected, shaking hands with the girls, who giggled.

"You moved in with your boyfriend? How romantic!" Ayumi said, looking up at Sesshomaru. "Could you give us a few moments alone please?" Sesshomaru humored the girl and walked across the store, out of human hearing range.

"So..." Yuka said. "Tell us. Everything! I assume you've lost that pesky virginity of yours."

"Ehhhh..." Kagome said.

"You have!"

Sesshomaru grinned at his mate's expense and wondered how long the three girls had been together that they would answer in unison so often. Had Kagome been like that at some point of her life? Suddenly, his demon instincts sprang to life; something was close. He went back to Kagome.

"Kagome, we need to go." He said.

Kagome focused and sensed a demon close by. "Right, I forgot I have that doctor's appointment!"

"Are you sick?" Ayumi asked.

"Oh no, it's just a...girl thing." Kagome said, not wanting to worry her friends.

"You're pregnant!" They all said, pointing at her tummy.

"No!"

"Do you wanna be?" Eri said.

Kagome sighed. "No!"

Sesshomaru frowned. "No?"

"Awwww! He's so sweet!"

_Oh, I'll get him for this. There's no way he's going to get away with that!_ She waved as Sesshomaru grabbed her hand and they walked out of the store, leaving the groceries behind. As soon as they were out of sight, she jumped on his back and he traced the scent of the demon who had left his scent around.

"That was interesting." Sesshomaru said. Mid-leap, everything suddenly went black and they fell onto a hard surface. He gripped Kagome's hand. "This is an illusion. Do NOT let go of me."

The area suddenly lit up and Kagome recognized the area as being the serene glade the Bone-Eater's Well stood in during the feudal era. There it was, along with a man sitting on the edge of it. "Shippou?"

"Kagome!" Shippou yelled, running to her. He had grown up to be tall, with a head of bushy orange hair. "Kagome...I missed you!" He cried out, just like he did when he was little, holding her tightly.

"It's alright, Shippou. I'm here now." Kagome said.

"Please help me, Kagome. I ruined everything." Shippou said, his eyes seeming so sad as he let go of her and sat on the edge of the well. "You have to save Rin from that monster." He said, looking up at Sesshomaru. "You're the only ones who can defeat him!"

"What happened, Shippou?" Kagome asked. "How did things get like this?"

Shippou bit his lip. "It was years after everything happened. Rin and I fell in love and got married, and a few months later, she got pregnant." He bit down harder, and blood started to trickle out of his mouth. "Another demon stabbed her, because of her scent."

"Eh?" Kagome asked. "What scent?"

"The scent of the hanyou growing inside of her." Sesshomaru said. "It attracts demons."

"So'unga came to me, and offered to save her life, even give her immortality in exchange for serving him." Shippou said. "I couldn't say no. I loved her too much to just let her die. I still love her. I would do anything for her."

_Shippou! My poor Shippou! _Kagome thought as tears rolled down her cheeks. "We'll save her, Shippou, and then you won't have to do this anymore."

Shippou stood up. "I need to go, before I get caught. So'unga has a lair under the city, the passage to enter it is on the western wall of the fighting ring." Shippou said as he and the illusion disappeared, leaving them on the roof of a building.

Sesshomaru stood up and stared somewhat blankly into the distance. "Sesshomaru, are you okay?"

He sighed. "She always trusted demons more than humans. I suppose that played a role in choosing her mate."

"Are you mad at Shippou?" Kagome asked.

Sesshomaru shook his head and she jumped in his back. "We need to find Rin. Her scent wasn't everywhere in that home, so she must have been kept there for a long time, otherwise there would have been a scent trail in and out of the house."

"Then what?" Kagome asked.

"Kill So'unga." Sesshomaru said.

"You have a solution for his powers? To keep him from coming back from hell?" Kagome asked.

"Yes. You." Sesshomaru said. "After being able to purify my soul, I do not doubt you can handle the destruction of So'unga's. His youki is a little weaker than mine." He noticed Kagome become silent and put her down. "Look." Sesshomaru said. "There are only a few really powerful youkai left, probably on the entire planet. The world is changing, and humans might suffer a cruel end if someone like So'unga lives longer than those who are capable of challenging him."

Kagome nodded. "I'll try."

Sesshomaru gave her a peck on the cheek. "Good girl."

"You know...you might be the most powerful demon alive right now." Kagome said.

Sesshomaru furrowed his brows. "...Might?" She got on his back and he started his patrol of the city, hoping for a whiff of Rin. "I might be the most powerful demon in the world in the same way that I might have made you a woman last night."

She squeezed him and licked his ear. "Little Miko, while I appreciate the attention, I suggest you stop unless you wish to be taken in public."

"What if I do?" Kagome teased.

Sesshomaru shuddered. "Must...focus."

"I sense So'unga." Kagome said. "He's underground."

Sesshomaru nodded. "I just picked up Rin's scent. It's in a different direction."

"This might be our chance to save her then!" Kagome said. "Or a trap, but I'm guessing he just has her hidden some place."

Sesshomaru quietly made his way through the city until he landed in a tree in the parking lot of an office building. "There are a lot of demons in there." Sesshomaru said. "Stay close."

"Always!" Kagome said, drawing her swords in anticipation. Sesshomaru drew Tessaiga and looked over at Kagome.

"Kagome, I have an idea." He said, nudging her off. "Cross swords with me." Tessaiga covered itself in dragon scales, then diamonds. Kagome met his swords with hers. "Channel your purification powers through them now." He said as blue energy started to glow and flow into Tessaiga. "Purified Kongosoha spears won't hit Rin because she's human."

**CRACK!**

Sesshomaru grimaced as Tessaiga suddenly cracked and pushed Kagome out of the way as the energy started to escape from it. He aimed at the side of the building and swung it, throwing the diamond spears through the structure and almost all of the demon inhabitants. He sheathed the sword and ran into the hole he'd created in the side of the building, his claws swinging.

Kagome chased after him and called out for the hostage. "Rin! Where are you?"

"Here!" She called out from an office where she was being held captive by a couple of demons. _Be brave! _Kagome said to herself as she ran down the hall. _And remember how to fight!_ She charged down the hall with one shoulder forward, the blades aglow. A lizard demon leapt out from a door and attempted to stop her, but Kagome barreled into him and impaled him, then kept running. _There's no way So'unga is going to give us a lot of time to do this. We've got to hurry!_

A larger bear demon blocked her way, and as Kagome attempted to dodge him, her sneakers slipped on the recently waxed floors and she slid into his leg. The bear slashed down with his claws in a long arc, and scratched Kagome on the arm as she guarded her face and throat. She cried out in pain and stabbed the bear in both of his feet at once, then jumped to her feet and kicked him over. Kagome stabbed him in the stomach and threw open the door. "We're leaving now, Rin!"

Rin nodded and grabbed Kagome's hand. The blood dripping down her arm scared Kagome, since she'd never really been injured, and the wound stung like hell as they ran for Sesshomaru, who was finishing off the last of the demons sent to guard Rin. She seemed to slow down, and when Kagome looked back, she saw Rin's nose bleeding, just as hers had done after being exposed to the toxic Orochi blood. _Last night! I forgot! My powers must have protected me, but Rin must have inhaled the scent while we were fighting._

Sesshomaru saw them just as Rin passed out in Kagome arms. He could smell both of hem bleeding rather badly. "They'll attack us at home if we go there." Sesshomaru said, cradling Rin in his arms.

A cyclone cut through the building and stopped in front of Kagome. "Kagome? Are you alright?" Kouga asked. "I could smell your blood across town."

"I'm fine." Kagome said. "I need your help. I'm going to bleed out the poison in your arm, but you need to keep this girl safe until we defeat So'unga."

Kouga growled at Sesshomaru. "Are you nuts? You're going to get Kagome killed!"

"Kouga! Please." Kagome said, putting a barrier up around Rin. She used one of her swords to cut along his arm, purifying the black blood as it oozed out of his arm.

"Don't bother, Kagome. They'll just pump me full of more." Kouga said.

"I don't think so. We killed the Orochi last night." Kagome said. "Now take Rin someplace and keep her safe, okay?" Kouga nodded and zipped away with Rin, ignoring the frown she was getting from her mate. "You may have a grudge against Kouga, but he's a good protector. Trust me, okay?"

Sesshomaru grabbed Kagome and they left the area. He came to a stop and drew Tessaiga, which sported a huge crack. "What happened? Why did that happen?"

"It won't transform again. Tessaiga is dead." Sesshomaru said. "Your purification powers were enough to purify Father's fang, so the demonic energy was released."

"I'm sorry." Kagome said, staring at the cracked, rusty blade.

He stared at it sadly. "To think this was once the object of my desire." Sesshomaru said. "To save Rin's life, it was more than worth it."

Tenseiga started to rattle and glow. "Tenseiga...you can heal the fang?" Sesshomaru asked the sword as he drew it. Kagome watched as Sesshomaru touched Tessaiga and Tenseiga together. Sparks flew at the contact, but nothing else happened. The crack in Tessaiga glowed and Tenseiga rumbled, so Sesshomaru took the Tenseiga and drove it into the glowing crevice in the sword it was cast from. _Tenseiga was originally the same sword as Tessaiga. They're combining!_ Kagome thought as the swords glowed. Tenseiga slid into the Tessaiga and the wound on the sword disappeared, leaving only Tessaiga.

Tessaiga glittered, shiny and perfect, even in it's smaller, dormant state. Sesshomaru gently took the sword and watched it shine in the sun, then transformed it. "Tenseiga chose to save Tessaiga because I sacrificed it to save mortals, which is why Tessaiga was created."

"Can you still resurrect with it? And open the meidou?" Kagome asked.

"Yes." Sesshomaru said. "Since Tenseiga was born from Tessaiga, they just combined."

Kagome nodded. "So I guess we won't try that again. I'd hate to break this sword too."

"Don't be silly. Tessaiga is now twice as strong." Sesshomaru said as Kagome jumped on his back. "Tenseiga was the Sword of Heaven, it should protect Tessaiga from being harmed by your purification powers."

Kagome moved and winced, both of them suddenly remembering she had been wounded. "Ow! That really hurts!" Kagome whined.

Sesshomaru ripped the lining of his jacket and wrapped it around the wound. "We have one last score to settle, Love. Can you make it through the fight?"

Kagome nodded. "It's hard to believe this is all going to be over soon. In terms of actual years I've lived, this charade has been a big part of my life. To think, it was all someone's stupid scheme..."

"If So'unga had possessed the jewel a thousand years ago, he likely would have purged the world of humans." Sesshomaru said. "I'm confident that he would have killed my father and myself fairly soon."

"So creepy." Kagome said. "Are you still mad your father didn't leave you Tessaiga when he died?" She felt a strange twitch go through his body.

"Not really." Sesshomaru replied. "He was right to give it to Inuyasha. He correctly assumed Inuyasha would need to protect himself from me." He kicked a sewer cover up with his foot and jumped in. Kagome felt butterflies in her stomach as they silently made their way toward So'unga's lair, which she was probably about to get into the fight of her life. "Easy, Little Miko." Sesshomaru cooed, sensing her racing heart.

Sesshomaru stopped at a brick wall. He raised Tessaiga and grinned slightly. "Wind Scar!" He yelled, slashing into the floor. The wall collapsed, and Kagome realized what he was doing. Sesshomaru used the Wind Scar to form a path through the ring and the passage that Shippou claimed would lead them to So'unga.

To the left of the Wind Scar's path, Kagome saw Katsu, the strange man who had been found using Sesshomaru's arm, talking with Kiyoshi, her father. She gave him the worst look she could muster and was ready to confront him, but when she tried to jump off Sesshomaru's back, her legs where held in place by his hands.

"Later." Sesshomaru said.

"Kagome, stop this right now. You're going to get yourself killed." Kiyoshi said.

Kagome craned her head and looked at him. "Don't pretend to care about my life now!"

Sesshomaru growled at the man, which scared both Katsu and Kiyoshi into silence, and they scurried away like mice as Sesshomaru carefully made his way down a dark passage. It was pitch black, so Kagome couldn't see a thing, but she was somewhat aware that Sesshomaru was sprinting down stairs. And then, she nearly screamed as she realized they were falling, but they stopped and Sesshomaru continued some sort of descent. Kagome closed her eyes and held on tight, noticing it seemed to be getting warmer.

Then, there was an agonizingly long fall, and Kagome's eyes shot open in panic as she looked around. They were falling into a massive lava-filled cavern several times the size of Midoriko's cave. Sesshomaru stopped them on a rock about a hundred feet from the bottom.

"In true form, his blood is poisonous." Sesshomaru said, reaching into his coat. He handed Kagome a mask. "Cut me." He said, holding out a hand.

"Eh?" Kagome asked.

"If you purify my blood and mix it with yours, you'll be okay down there, as long as you don't fall in the lava." Sesshomaru said.

She nodded and sliced open Sesshomaru's hand, then purified the blood before rubbing it into the wound from the bear's claws. Sesshomaru took both of her hands in his and flipped her over his back, and held her from behind. "Don't be afraid, Little Miko." He gently whispered, kissing her on the neck.

Kagome turned and they shared a passionate kiss. She felt the affect of the cavern's heat dissipate as his blood finished making her way through her body and broke the kiss and fastened her mask. "I'm ready."

When So'unga awoke from his nap, he noticed three things. First, Sesshomaru and Kagome were making their final drop to the floor of his lair. Two, he confused them for the Inu no Taisho and Midoriko, the dog demon and his priestess lover, who had been responsible for his five-century prison sentence spent bound to a steel sword. Third, Sesshomaru, who should have been on some insane killing spree, had somehow broken the power of the poison and found his conscience again. There was a distinctly poor taste in his mouth as he realized the smell of the fangs was gone, replaced by the scent Tessaiga had many years before, when it was the only thing capable of destroying his body. The son of the man who sealed him and the reincarnation of his mistress were ready to battle him and frankly, the situation had some sort of twisted fate nature that seemed like it would someday belong in a book about great demon slayers.

It was time to get serious.

"You found me." So'unga said, splashing a bare foot in the lava. "I'll be sure to kill that silly kitsune and his whore of a wife when I'm done with you."

Sesshomaru drew Tessaiga and Kagome slipped a hand around him, channeling purification power into it. "Silence."

So'unga licked his lips. "Did you ever take Rin, Sesshomaru? I understand you had a very close attachment to her. Maybe it's your father's curse, only you like them younger?"

"You jerk! Sesshomaru would never hurt Rin!" Kagome said. _Sesshomaru is always so calm, but one thing I have learned is that when he does get angry...look out!_

So'unga licked his lips. "She tastes positively delicious."

Sesshomaru's head turned around and he whispered extremely softly. "You have to stab him in the heart with the intent to destroy his soul."

Kagome nodded and slid off his back. She remembered her training as she ran in a sharp angle away from Sesshomaru. Her body wasn't up to par with his for taking damage by a long shot. "I will bind you to Tessaiga." Sesshomaru said, bluffing. So'unga lunged at Sesshomaru and then leapt into the air. His body suddenly transformed, taking the form of the largest demon Kagome had ever seen. So'unga's purple skin was covered in spikes and sharp edges, and his claws looked so sharp even one swipe would kill her. His chest was totally covered in thick, glistening armor that seemed like it would be impossible to penetrate.

So'unga flew into the air, swinging his barbed tail at Kagome, stopped at the last minute as she formed a barrier around herself. "Look out, Sesshomaru!"

A fireball flew out his mouth toward Sesshomaru, who held Tessaiga out in front of him. "Kongo-BAKURYUHA!" He shouted, throwing the purification energy, the fireball, and the spikes back at So'unga. When the spikes struck his skin, only a couple managed to fit between the scales, which were too hard even for diamond spears to pierce. They ricocheted around the room, like deadly, sharp pinballs. With the force he'd put into the attack, they were zipping around at insane speeds as So'unga laughed. So'unga swiped his claws at Sesshomaru, trying to make him dodge right into the path of his own Kongosoha spears.

"Sesshomaru!" Kagome screamed as she quickly crawled across the rock. A spear fell to the ground after coming within inches of his chest, and he looked down to see Kagome had made it to him and protected him with her barrier.

Sesshomaru gave her an appreciative look, then told her to get clear of him so she wouldn't bear the brunt of So'unga's attacks.

Kagome nodded and went into a defensive position, holding her swords in front of her as So'unga's claws slashed at her. She pushed her own energy through them and So'unga pulled his foot back in pain. When he curled his talons up from the sensation, Kagome saw the scales move so his skin was exposed.

Sesshomaru tried to keep So'unga's attention, then got an idea. So'unga saw the Tessaiga flash red and Sesshomaru leapt. When Kagome's swords both slashed at the flesh of the dragon's foot, Sesshomaru easily dodged So'unga's distracted defensive maneuvers. The Red Tessaiga struck the armor on his chest and shattered, since it was still a barrier, although not the kind Red Tessaiga had usually been used for.

Kagome smelled the blood from the dragon's foot and winced. _Red Tessaiga broke his armor!_ She spotted a strange scar on So'unga's chest and decided that must have been the scar from being sealed before_. The flesh of his chest is soft and exposed, which must have been why he'd gone to such trouble with thick armor._

"Wind Scar!"

Kagome's eyes bugged out. _Hey, you idiot, you're going to hit me!_ She threw her swords up in a defensive stance and the force of the Wind Scar was violently thrown back to Sesshomaru, the energy glowing blue. Kagome fell backwards. "What the fuck are you doing?"

Sesshomaru caught the sacred energy from the volley and turned it on So'unga. "BAKURYUHA!" He shouted, as So'unga tried to dodge the onslaught and force of the purification energy flowing toward him. He roared as the attack burned into him, melting most of his scales and leaving a bloody mess everywhere.

He transformed back into human form and lay on a rock in the middle of the lava pit in a pool of blood, struggling to breathe. Sesshomaru grabbed Kagome and leapt onto the rock. "Now, Kagome!"

"You can kill me..." So'unga said. "I'll just come back."

"Not this time." Kagome said, as the blade she held in her hand turned black. So'unga's eyes flashed in fear as she stabbed him through the heart. _This must be some sort of shortcut to the inside of a person's soul. _Kagome thought as she found herself at the very center of his soul. She shattered it, and then blacked out for a second before opening her eyes. So'unga stared forward, still struggling to breathe. His expression was blank. "There's no soul in him." Sesshomaru drew Tessaiga and sliced off his head, the blood soaking into the sword. He kicked the body over into the lava and then caught Kagome as she fainted.


	9. Epilogue

**Epilogue**

"Stop."

"No."

"Stop."

"No."

Kagome turned around and nearly stared a hole in Sesshomaru. "You know, the first time I tried to go through high school, your brother supplied all the distractions. You're worse! I graduate in a month, so just...let me be!"

"Worse? Pfft." Sesshomaru said, as he pinched Kagome's toe for the millionth time. "It's your birthday, you shouldn't be studying. You can do that any day."

Kagome gave him a dirty look. "Just like I can have sex with you any day?" She looked at the time and closed the math book. "Alright, I'm going out with Ayumi and the others for awhile. I should be back by tonight."

As soon as Kagome left, Sesshomaru hunted down Kiyoshi Higurashi and hauled him by force to the shrine. "What the fuck do you want?" He yelled, although terrified of both Sesshomaru and his daughter, who wasn't the innocent little victim she had been when he first let her go through the well.

"You are going to tell Kagome's mother everything." Sesshomaru said. "Or I can kill you, then do it myself."

When Kiyoshi emerged from the house three hours later, he had a black eye, a busted nose, miscellaneous bruises, and bloody lips. Myoga hopped onto Sesshomaru's shoulder. "At least we know where Kagome gets her temper." He said.

"Indeed." Sesshomaru said, as he jumped down from the Sacred Tree and walked toward the house.

When Kagome got home on her eighteenth birthday, she found the house mostly dark, with candles lighting the dining room. "Sesshomaru?" She said as she walked toward the light. There, sitting at the table was her mother, brother, and grandfather. "Mom? Grandpa? Souta? You're really here!"

Her mom jumped up and held her. "Oh, Kagome!" She cried. "I'm so happy to see you...your father told me everything! I'm so sorry!"

"Everything is good now, Mom. Perfect, even." Kagome said. "I can't believe Dad actually confessed to everything."

"I think he had a little encouragement!" Grandpa said, pointing to the amber-eyed demon watching the family reunion.

After dinner, Sesshomaru entertained Grandpa and Souta in the backyard with Tessaiga and tales of his adventures with the brave little miko they knew only as Kagome.

"My sister killed a DRAGON?" Souta asked.

"Only one of the worst dragons to ever walk the earth." Sesshomaru said. "Speaking of which, she said you might like to have this." He lead them to a huge dragon claw. "She severed this from So'unga's body."

"A real dragon claw!" He grandfather said ecstatically.

"My sister is scary!" Souta said.

Sesshomaru shrugged. "You can still annoy her, that's what little brothers are for. Besides, her powers only work on demons."

In the house, Kagome and her mom were sitting in the living room, talking. Her mother felt strange, knowing there was a twenty-four-year-old in the body that was turning eighteen. "Are you happy here?"

"I am." Kagome said. "He's a little weird, but he's the most loyal, dedicated person in the world. If he hadn't helped me, I'd probably be dead or in hiding in the ancient past." She put her hand over her heart. "It's strange to explain what it's like, but I've touched Sesshomaru's soul, and that was the moment I knew I loved him."

Her mother sighed. "That's so romantic. I was so worried about you for so long, knowing your safe and happy gives me such relief." She looked around the big house. "Is it just you and Sesshomaru here?"

Kagome laughed and shook her head. "Let's see, a fox demon named Shippou and his wife Rin live here, they're going to have a baby in a couple of months. Myoga, a flea demon lives here too."

"A flea?" She asked.

Myoga jumped out of Kagome's hair and onto her lap and bowed. "Why, yes, m'lady. I am Myoga the Flea, at your service!"

Kagome watched her mom giggle at the little flea and realized Sesshomaru had given her the best gift she could ever have – her family. She spent the better part of the night talking with them and when they went home, she met Sesshomaru upstairs and cuddled in his arms. "You're amazing...I love you."

"Little Miko." Sesshomaru said.

"Hmm." Kagome replied, totally relaxed in his arms as he stared into her eyes.

"This Sesshomaru loves you."

Kagome closed her eyes and nuzzled his chest. "Of course you do. I'm cute."

Sesshomaru turned the lights off. "Did you tell your mother?"

"That I'm pregnant? Nope." Kagome said. "Maybe tomorrow, hm?"

Sesshomaru and Kagome exchanged a quick kiss and then fell asleep.

**THE END!**

**Special thanks to all my readers and especially my reviewers. I hope you enjoyed it!**

_I'm thinking about writing sort of an 'Adventures of Sesshomaru and Kagome' sequel fic. Any thoughts?_


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